Journey through Highschool
by Anj3lik
Summary: Gohan knew he should have never pulled that prank on his father. Now he's paying for it rotting in that hell they call high school. How will he fare meeting friends old and new? What's this about a field trip? We wish you luck Gohan!
1. A New Day

Hey Everyone! This is the first installment in the rewritten, new and (hopefully) improved, Journey Through Highschool. I removed all the previous chapters so readers don't get confused between the previous storyline and this one.

Now for some background information. First of all, this fic is almost completely AU. Goku's character, especially is completely different to the show. He's more Saiyan like although he's still the kind-hearted person we all know and love. Vegeta is not quite as big of an asshole as he is in the show. Goku and Vegeta both have jobs with Capsule Corp and actually have skills other than fighting.

Both Vegeta and Goku had spent the first few years of their lives on Vegetasei although they didn't know each other at the time. Goku was proven to show extreme bursts of power when under stress and so was taken with Vegeta onto Frieza's ship before the planet was destroyed. They shared a cell on the ship and became friends. When Goku was about 12 he was sent on a solo mission to destroy Earth. The ship exploded upon impact and Goku was taken in by Grandpa Gohan sans all his memories. A few months later he killed Grandpa Gohan while in Oozaru form. The rest of the show progresses as normal except for Vegeta being able to recognize Goku when they meet again while Vegeta is after the dragonballs. Goku, however, doesn't remember his life before coming to Earth. He regains his memories during the final battle with Frieza when he becomes a Super Saiyan for the first time. Since Goku suffered under Frieza as well Vegeta isn't as anal about him defeating the tyrant. Also Goku is wished back to life immediately after the Cell Games. I always thought he had a very lame excuse for abandoning his family so he will not be doing that in this fic.

The Ox kingdom is still up and thriving with the Ox King as the reigning monarch and the Son family as princes and princesses of the kingdom so they're definitely not poor. Although they don't live in the palace, they play an active role in the Ox Kingdom's daily life. Gohan is a lot more outgoing thanks to the relationship he has with Lime and Mirai Trunks. Mirai, Lime and Gohan also work with Capsule Corp.

Well, I think that's about it... I DO not OWN DBZ!

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**A New Day...**

A large flock of ducks quacked as they soared through the air at a leisure pace. It was that time of year again. It was time for them to make their way south for the winter. For some, it was their first migration and although slightly nervous, they were all assured it would be something to look forward to. It was only October and the cold hadn't even begun to set in as yet, but their internal clocks made sure they would be hundreds of miles away by then.

All of a sudden the ducks' tranquility was destroyed as an object plowed right through their formation at top speed, causing the poor birds to veer to the side to avoid being pulverized. The leader looked angrily back at the retreating body, preening his ruffled feathers. To his amazement, all he could see was a golden streak which suddenly stopped to reveal a teenage boy. The old duck blinked. There was a glowing golden teenage boy flying unaided in front of him. He shook his head to clear it. He must be seeing things. But sure enough the boy remained there. Ignorant of the boy's apologies, the old leader's heart could not take much else as he plummeted to the ground in a dead faint.

Acting quickly, the boy dove and caught the aged duck a few feet away from the ground placing him carefully in a small nest of leaves.

"Sorry Mr. Duck but I can't stay with you. I'm already late for school," the boy responded with a bow before taking off at an even faster speed than before.

The teenager, otherwise known as Son Gohan sighed in depression. He was headed toward Satan City, or more specifically, Orange Star High School. Why would the eighteen-year-old heir to the Ox Kingdom who already held a PhD in Politics, Law and Engineering need to go to High School? Logically, there was no need. '_But yet here I am,"_ he thought as another deep sigh escaped his lips. He groaned as he thought back to the events that led up to his sentence.

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It was midnight in the 439 Mountain Area. The full moon cast a pale glow over the rolling hills. The only sounds to be heard were owls and crickets. A lone house stood in the middle of the trees where the Son family slept soundly. Or so we thought.

"BRATS!" Son Goku shouted. Gohan, his little brother, Goten and best friend, Lime shot out of their beds wondering what happened to him.

Simultaneously, all three bedroom doors were flung open as a stark naked, Super Saiyan 2 Goku glared at them.

"Go back to bed Goten," he said, ushering the frightened seven-year-old back into his room as Chi Chi tucked him back in. Turning around he glared at Gohan and Lime who were inching their way to the door. "You two. In the living room," he said in a deadly quiet voice, leaving no room for argument. The two looked at each other and gulped. Lime knew she shouldn't have slept over tonight. By now, the Son matriarch, dressed in nothing but a robe had joined them.

The livid father and furious mother sat facing the teenagers on the opposite couch with nothing but a coffee table between them.

"Now which one of you is responsible for this?" Goku questioned, gesturing towards his flaccid crotch. By now it was obvious what the problem was.

The teenagers looked at each other, a small smirk on their faces. For a second they foolishly thought they could make a joke out of this, but their plans were squashed as suddenly they felt a splitting pain on their heads as Chi Chi's Frying Pan of Doom TM slammed down on them. "So you think this is funny?" she screamed at them.

The two shook their heads furiously, making their headaches even worse. "I'm waiting for an answer," Goku bit out.

"Well, um, you see dad," Gohan stuttered. Goku glared at him impatiently.

"Yes?" he asked. His voice demanded there be no more stalling.

"Umm…well we developed this new antidote for Viagra and I needed a test subject so…" the teenage Son boy continued.

"So you decided to give your father ED?" Chi Chi demanded, slamming the Frying Pan down on his head once again. Gohan nodded miserably.

Goku pinched his nose, willing himself to calm down. "How long?" he asked.

"How long what?" Gohan asked.

"How long until the drug wears off?" Goku yelled at him.

"Umm a week?" Gohan mumbled weakly, fearing the worst.

Goku turned away from his son willing himself not to kill his firstborn.

"What are we going to do with you?" Chi Chi asked. "Where did I go wrong? Am I a bad mother?" She would have continued along this path if it were not for her husband interrupting.

"You will eat **one** normal human portion of food every day for a month. You will train with Vegeta and me every day **indefinitely**," Goku ground out.

Gohan nodded miserably. "Yes fa-" he started.

"I am not finished," Goku turned to face his son.

Gohan gulped. What could be worse than that?

"You will be attending Orange Star High until you graduate where you shall pose as a normal human until you graduate. I hear _one_ report of a skipped day and you _will_ live to regret it. You start tomorrow. Goodnight," he said and stalked off, taking Chi Chi with him.

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Gohan shivered as he remembered the look on his father's face. Ever since Goku had regained his memory about life on Vegetasai, he had developed a temper rivaling that of Vegeta, although his punishments were much crueler. The evidence was in the monstrosity he was forced to wear this morning. It was a baggy, white, long sleeved shirt with a black sweater vest over it with bright orange pants and black dress shoes. All in all, Goku wanted to ruin his social life at OSH before it even began.

As he approached Satan City, the teenager was jarred out of his thoughts by the sound of gunshots. He hovered in the air, looking to where the bullets were coming from when one whizzed by his ear, pissing him off even more than he already was. It turns out that two men were robbing Satan City Bank and the police were too busy hiding behind their squad cars to do anything.

Gohan debated whether he should go help. If he was late for school both this mom _and _dad would have his head but his sense of honor wouldn't allow him to leave this situation in the hands of the useless police force. Suddenly a brilliant idea occurred to him. _I know what I'll do!_

"Split form!" he said as he split into two different persons. Never was he so happy his father's friend, Tien, had taught him this move.

His clone powered down to normal and headed to school while he changed into a purple gi using the move Piccolo had taught him before heading toward the bank. _Who ever said you can't be in two places at once?_

"Hey Jim," a rather large, bald man said, as he pointed his gun at the mother and daughter they were holding hostage. He and his partner were dressed in a purple T-shirt, black leather jacket, leather pants and a black ski mask. "Looks like we're actually getting away with this!"

"Yeah Luke," his short, potbellied accomplice said as he stuffed wad after wad of money into a large black suitcase. "These so called police officers are worthless. But I ain't complaining. Just makes our job easier."

"All we gotta do is get outta here before that blasted child of Hercule shows up and sends our asses back to jail," Jim replied.

"Sorry. It seems she's running a bit late this morning so I'll be the one to send your asses back to jail," an unknown voice came from right behind them.

The two men turned around to face the speaker. It was a young man dressed in a purple sleeveless fighting gi. But what stood out about him was his golden hair, cold teal eyes and the fact that he was…glowing?

"Look at him Jim," Luke laughed nervously, trying to play tough. "The brat's either crazy or stupid."

"Actually I'm neither. Just confident in my abilities," the young man replied coolly.

"Well let's see how confident you are now! Eat lead!" Luke replied aiming his machine gun at the golden haired teenager, firing several rounds at him. He turned back to Jim with a smug look on his face, satisfied he'd finished off the meddling brat for good.

"Stop. That tickled," the young man said in a mocking tone as the smoke cleared. There wasn't a scratch on him. He stood with his palm outstretched, letting the bullets fall slowly the ground. Luke's eyes widened in fear as he desperately fired the rest of the bullets at the teenager.

"You know insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting a different result," the young man said, with a smirk as he dropped the caught bullets once more.

"Y-y-yo-you're not human!" Jim exclaimed as he dropped the extra cash, grabbed the suitcase and ran to their nearby truck with Luke in tow.

Firing a ki shockwave, the boy caused the truck to overturn and quickly chopped the two thieves on the back of the neck rendering then unconscious. He then grabbed the suitcase in one hand and the men in the other, floated over to the police cars and dumped them at their feet before taking off to a secluded alley.

"Idiots," he muttered under his breath as he returned to his normal state, used Piccolo's technique to change back into his school clothes, and dashed off to school.

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As he rounded a corner, a short, rather pretty girl with raven hair kept in pigtails crashed into him causing him to fall onto his back in surprise, taking her with him. He winced slightly as his bruised ribs protested at the impact. Vegeta and his dad had not gone easy on him at all that morning and it was just his luck that they were fresh out of senzu beans. He had to settle for a half hour in the regeneration tank to deal with his broken bones, and allow his body to handle the rest. He smiled in apology as the girl opened her eyes to reveal beautiful cerulean orbs. However, as she realized the position they were in, her eyes narrowed and her small mouth twisted into a menacing scowl.

"Who the hell do you think you are, you pervert?" she screamed at him. He had to give her props. For such a small mouth, her voice was just as loud as his mother's. However his admiration quickly turned into offense as her words registered with him.

"Who do _you_ think you are crashing into people?" he replied in a calm tone.

The girl glared even harder. Needless to say it had no effect on him. "I am Videl Satan, daughter of Hercule Satan, World Champion and the one who defeated Cell," she responded proudly never moving from her position on top of him.

"Oh, that bumbling idiot? If I were you I'd keep that under wraps," he whispered to her mockingly.

This only aggravated the girl further. "I'll have you know that my father is the strongest person in the world. He can easily tear you limb from limb. Hell, even I can do that with my eyes closed," she responded hotly.

Gohan just chuckled. "And how are so sure of that?" he inquired.

The girl laughed harshly, giving a rather good impression of her father. "Just look at you! I've beaten up thugs three times my size with absolutely no trouble. You wouldn't last three seconds," she said condescendingly.

Gohan's Saiyan pride marveled at the girl's arrogance. He was about to challenge her to a fight when he remembered he was supposed to be keeping a low profile. Instead he replied, "Hasn't your mother ever told you not to judge a book by its cover?"

"What gives you the right to talk about my mother?" she screamed at him, inching her face closer to his.

"What gives you the right to talk about my capabilities?" he responded coolly.

"Why don't you just get out of my face?" she shouted, clearly frustrated. She was not getting anywhere with this boy.

"I would, but you seem to be enjoying yourself on top of me," he replied.

Videl blushed as she realized he was right. "I am _not!_" she retorted as she got up in flash.

"Whatever you say," Gohan teased as she stomped away.

'_She sure is interesting!' _ Gohan thought as he made his way to school, remembering to send his clone a mental note not to enter the classroom just yet. From the badge he saw attached to the girl's oversized white T-shirt, she attended his high school and he had no idea whether or not they were in the same class.

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Finally arriving at OSH Gohan made a beeline for the bathroom where his clone was already waiting for him. Unfortunately, along the way, a small body ran into him, revealing itself to be none other than Videl Satan.

"If I didn't know any better I would think you enjoy running into me," Gohan smirked, extending a hand to help her up as she gathered her fallen books. However, she slapped it away. "Get out of my face_. _I don't need help from the likes of _you_," she said derisively.

"Aww. It's nice to see you again too!" he replied in a sweet voice.

Videl replied by giving him the finger. Gohan only laughed as he continued on his journey.

When he finally reached the restroom, he knocked on the stall at the far corner of the restroom. His clone quickly opened the door and yanked him inside, slamming the door behind him.

"What took you so long?" his clone asked.

"I had a little run in with Hercule's daughter" Gohan grinned.

"Wow! Does she look like him?" his clone asked, picturing an overly muscled girl with a huge afro.

"Nah! She's actually quite the looker. But you'll see later. We've got to get going," Gohan responded with a chuckle.

"Reform!" the two said. There was a brief flash of light before the two merged to form one Gohan. As they fused, the recollections of each clone merged as well. Washing his hands to keep up the façade, Gohan then made his way to his first class.

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Review please?


	2. Introductions

Back again with Chapter 2. I Don't Own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

**_"I had a little run in with Hercule's daughter" Gohan grinned._**

**_"Wow! Does she look like him?" his clone asked, picturing an overly muscled girl with a huge afro._**

**_"Nah! She's actually quite the looker. But you'll see later. We've got to get going," Gohan responded with a chuckle._**

**_"Reform!" the two said. There was a brief flash of light before the two merged to form one Gohan. As they fused, the recollections of each clone merged as well. Washing his hands to keep up the façade, Gohan then made his way back to his first class._**

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'_Now where can I find room 370?' _ Gohan thought as he walked down the hallway of the third floor. _Ah! There it is. _The Son boy came to a stop in front of the door. '_Well it's now or never,' _he thought as he knocked as gently as possible on the door. After receiving no response, he knocked slightly harder. A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing an annoyed-looking teacher.

"May I help you?" he asked. He was a man of medium build with thinning brown hair.

"Yes, sir," Gohan responded. "I'm Son Gohan, the new student."

Instantly a smile broke out on the teacher's face. "Ah! It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Dr. Son!" he said shaking his hand. "Come on in!"

"Wait how did you know I have my doctorate?" Gohan asked the ecstatic teacher.

"I believe it was three doctorates. Don't be so modest! You used to grade my papers back when I did my Masters," he professor replied, cheerily.

Gohan nodded as he looked down at his schedule. "Oh that's right. Mr. Morimoto, you had almost perfect grades if I remember correctly."

"Yes! Graduated magna cum laude!" the man boasted.

Gohan smiled and nodded. "Could you not mention any of this to the other students? I don't want to intimidate them," he asked. _More like I don't want them to think I'm a total nerd! I don't want to be a social reject before I've even introduced myself!_

"No problem _Mr. _Son," the professor responded, winking. "Although if you don't mind me asking? What are you doing in a high school?"

Gohan chuckled miserably. "Some parents ground their kids when they piss them off. Mine send them to high school," he answered.

The professor laughed. "Still a teenage boy, I see. Anyway, enough chit chat. Come on in and introduce yourself to the class!" he said excitedly.

Gohan stepped into the classroom to view a room with two sets of desks and chairs set in a stadium like formation with a set of stairs down the middle. There were about 30 students in the classroom, some, mainly the girls, looking at him with interest while others didn't seem to care about what was going on in front of them.

"Attention class!" Mr. Morimoto said. "We have a new student who I must say managed to earn perfect scores on the entrance exams. Will you introduce yourself, Gohan?"

"Good morning, everyone," Gohan said with a wry smile. _So much for keeping it quiet._ "My name is Son Gohan and it's nice to meet you all."

"Alright, Mr. Son," the teacher said. "Why don't you find an empty seat and turn to page 67."

Gohan scanned the room quickly and saw there were only five available seats; four so happened to be around a guy who had farted at least five times since he'd been in the room while the last was next to a pretty blonde girl with short hair. There was no question about which one he would chose.

"Yoo-hoo! There's a seat right over here cutie!" the blonde girl called, sparing him from hurting the hopeful-looking boy's feelings. She was of medium height, with hair cut in a bob style. She was wearing a green tube top with jean shorts. Her brilliant blue eyes looked at him gaily as he made his way over to her. He couldn't help but compare her eyes to those of the girl he met earlier that morning.

No sooner had he finished his thought than he ended up looking straight into the glaring cerulean orbs of the girl herself. _Speak of the devil… _She was seated on the other side of the blonde girl. Gohan simply smirked in response and sat down in the seat next to the blonde girl. This was going to be a fun year.

The second his butt hit the chair, he faced a barrage of information from the girl seated next to him.

"Hi cutie! Gohan's your name right?" she asked. He was given barely enough time to nod before she continued. "My name is Erasa with an 'E'. It is like so exciting to have you here! I'm sure we'll become BFFs. Oh yeah! Speaking of BFFs let me like introduce you to mine!"

Needless to say, Gohan was wrong when he said no one could talk faster than Goten and Trunks on a sugar high. He whipped his head around to catch her pointing at a boy with a pointed face and girlishly long, blond hair. He was wearing a black tank top and green track pants. So engrossed was he in flexing his oversized muscles, he didn't notice Gohan's presence until Erasa called his name.

"This is Sharpner," she said. "Sharpner meet Gohan!"

The blonde boy gave him a once over and, noticing no obvious muscles due to the bagginess of his white shirt, deemed him a weakling. "Hey Nerd Boy! You're kinda scrawny. Guys like you don't thrive well around here. How about I talk to the Champ for you to see if he'll give you a few lessons so you can get muscles like me?" he proposed.

"No, thanks," Gohan said.

"It's your funeral," Sharpner shrugged.

"Don't be silly, Sharpie!" Erasa giggled. "Gohan doesn't need to be strong! He's got more than enough brains to make up for it!" Turning to the black haired girl next to her, she began, "And this is…"

"Ah! Yes, Videl Satan, daughter of Hercule Satan, Savior of the World who will snap me like a twig!" Gohan mocked, doing his best impression of the dark haired girl, much to Videl's disdain. "We were introduced earlier."

Erasa gasped before bursting into a fit of giggles. "I like you already! I hate all those suck-ups who just want to use Videl to meet her father!" she replied. "Although I must ask, how did you guys meet?"

"Oh, she literally ran into me twice for the day already," Gohan snickered.

"I did _not_!" Videl retorted, "You ran into _me_!"

"Ha! That's funny, because if I ran into you I would have ended up on top of you but as I recall it was the other way around," Gohan smirked.

All the while Erasa grew hearts in her eyes and she watched OSH's hottest new couple, according to her, 'flirt'. She had to find a way to get them together. She'd never seen her best friend this flustered around a guy. Seeing Videl was seconds away from exploding she tried to change the subject.

"Hey! Have you guys heard about the Gold Fighter?" she interrupted.

"Oh is_ that_ what they're calling him? I don't like him! I mean who does he think he is swooping in and doing _my_ job!" Videl responded vehemently.

"Well _I_ think he's a fraud. Just like those freaks from the Cell Games," Sharpner responded boastfully.

Gohan kept quiet, forcing himself to breathe to keep himself from killing his class mate. His thoughts were unfortunately quickly interrupted.

"Gohan!" a sharp voice came from next to Erasa. It was Videl. "You wouldn't know anything about the Gold Fighter would you?" she demanded, glaring at him.

"Videl would you leave the poor boy alone? He just got here and you're interrogating him already?" Erasa reprimanded.

"I didn't ask you, Erasa," Videl shouted, ignoring the hurt look on her friend's face.

"Videl is there something you'd like to share with the class?" their teacher, Mr. Morimoto asked with an annoyed look on his face.

"No! Sorry Mr. Morimoto!" Videl apologized, bowing. She knew something was up with the new kid. He just didn't seem normal. Turning her glare back to Gohan, she vowed, "I will find out all your secrets and expose you for the little liar you are."

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After what seemed like the longest hour of his life, 20th Century Literature was finally over. Gohan took a glance at his schedule to find he had Gym next.

"Hey Gohan, me and Videl have Gym next," Erasa inquired. "What do you have?"

Gohan rubbed the back of his neck and grinned in the classic Son manner. "I have Gym as well," he answered.

"That's great!" Erasa squealed grabbing on to his arm and leading him to the gymnasium while Videl trudged irritably on beside them muttering to herself.

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Gohan looked down at the attire he was given for Gym. It was a blue T-shirt that fit a bit too closely for his liking and bright orange, loose shorts. He had refused to change in the locker room, not wanting all the guys to see his scarred body and ask any questions, opting instead for changing in the bathroom, which, to be blunt smelled like crap. He was never so happy he could hold his breath for five minutes. Taking in a deep gulp of air, he moved into the gym bathroom, quickly getting dressed in one of the stalls.

Five minutes later, Gohan stepped out into the gym and trotted over to where his new found acquaintances were waiting. Not much later, the coach blew his whistle, making the half-Saiyan cringe, thus signaling the beginning of the class.

"Alright everyone!" he said. "Today we'll be playing football." (A/N: Translation for you Americans: Soccer) "The captains for the girls' teams are Videl and Beverly. The guys will be headed by Sharpner and Tyler. We're a bit short on vests so the girls will play reds vs. blues, while the guys will play shirts versus skins. Sharpner, your team is skins."

Gohan gulped and prayed to Dende that he would be on Tyler's team. They flipped a coin and it was decided that Sharpner would be the first one to pick. Feeling sorry for the new kid, Sharpner showed some kindness to the new boy, by-passing his usual first pick for Gohan. Gohan face-palmed. It seemed Dende decided a hurricane in Mexico was more important and ignored his plea.

In no time the teams were already picked, and Sharpner's team had already removed their shirts. Gohan on the other hand refused to remove his shirt and everyone, both girls and guys, were watching him expectantly. The most anxious of which was Videl. She could hardly wait for the skinny nerd to expose himself. That ought to bring him down a peg or two.

"Come on, Gohan," Sharpner coaxed. "I swear no one will laugh at you, no matter how scrawny you are!"

Gohan didn't give an inch. It was only when the coach came over to inquire about the hold-up did he start to waver.

"Mr. Son, if you do not remove your shirt this instant, I will give you a fail in this class," the coach responded, clearly annoyed. _Young people and their warped sense of modesty these days. They wouldn't strip off their shirt for a gym class yet they walk the streets with their boxers exposed to the world._

Gohan froze in horror before nodding miserably. He _might_ be able to live through the stares once his shirt was off, but telling his mom he got a failing grade? He wasn't too sure about that one.

Crossing his arms over his front, Gohan lifted his shirt slowly, closing his eyes so he wouldn't see the faces that went along with the collective gasp.

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Videl stared in shock. The kid was ripped! Every single muscle was well defined. Numerous scars, both old and new crisscrossed his body but it didn't make him seem defective at all. Rather, it made him seem strong, a warrior in every sense of the word. At this moment he symbolized physical perfection. As he turned around to face the coach, she was greeted with a large tattoo which covered the expanse of his broad back. It was a picture of a green, ferocious looking dragon with seven orange balls with different numbers of reddish stars floating in front of it. There was also a strange insignia tattooed into his left bicep. As she finished her examination of him she noticed a faint yellowish bruise that wrapped around the left side of his ribcage. He had to have received that pretty recently. But what caused it? Was he in a fight? If so, with whom? Her thoughts were interrupted as the coach broke the silence that permeated the room. She would have to ask him about it later.

The coach smirked. "So I see you had something to hide indeed, Mr. Son," he teased. "Good luck fighting the ladies off you now!"

Gohan could do nothing but blush. He was royally screwed.

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The coach blew his whistle again. "Alright folks, the show's over. Girls, you head over to the opposite field. Guys split up and let's get this show on the road!"

Each team went to their side of the field and huddled up. "So Gohan, have you ever played before?" he asked.

"No, not really," Gohan responded.

Sharpner rubbed the bridge of his nose. "How good is your hand-eye coordination?" he asked.

"Perfect," Gohan responded.

Sharpner broke into a smile. "Well guys, looks like we have our goalie!" he cheered. The rest of the team agreed, showing their new-found respect for him.

Soon, the positions were filled and Gohan headed over to the goal, donning his goalkeeper vest.

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In the end Sharpner's team won 6-nil, due to a combination of Sharpner's excellent skills as a forward and the fact that no ball ever slipped by Gohan. The blonde boy came over and high-fived the demi-Saiyan. "Dude! Are you sure you've never played before? 'Cause you were awesome!" he congratulated. By now most of the students had already drifted off into the locker rooms to get ready for their next class.

Gohan blushed and grinned in the Son manner. "Thanks," he said.

"But dude, seriously, would you consider joining the school football team? Our goalies suck! We need help, man!" Sharpner begged.

Gohan chuckled. "I'd be happy to, but I'm gonna need the 'educational significance' to ever get my mom to agree," Gohan replied.

"Dude! That's awesome man! And you can just tell your mom that if we win the championship, that will be a full ride scholarship to practically any university," Sharpner responded, clapping Gohan on the back. "I'm sure she'd be glad to hear that! Tryouts are at 3 tomorrow afternoon."

The two guys heard a squeal minutes before they were both attacked by Erasa. "OMG you guys were totally awesome! Gohan you should totally join the football team! They totally suck! I'm a cheerleader you know so I would definitely know!" she squealed. She would have gone on if she weren't interrupted by Videl.

"So _Gohan_!" she demanded. "Where did you get that bruise, how did you get such a toned body and what are those tattoos of?"

Gohan smirked at Videl. "I see you like, huh?" he teased, ignoring her first question. He burst out laughing when her nostrils flared and her face turned bright red.

"Dude! You're playing with fire, man!" Sharpner tried to save him. "Videl's a black belt in three different types of Martial Arts!"

"It's ok, Sharpner. I'm just messing with her a bit, am I not, Videl?" Gohan chuckled, ruffling the short girl's hair. The minute his hand touched her head Videl reached for his arm, ready to twist it behind his back. However, Gohan was quicker, grabbing both her arms and crossing them across her chest, holding them down at her sides like a strait jacket.

All the while Sharpner and Erasa watched in shock as their new classmate rendered their school's top martial artist immobile with ease. Who was this guy? Sharpner made a mental note never to piss Gohan off. If this is what he's like when he's joking around, who knew how strong he was when he's serious.

"Ah ah ah!" Gohan reprimanded as if she were a small child, holding down her leg with one of his as her knee aimed for his crotch. "Didn't daddy dearest ever tell you not to start fights?"

"He told me never to let anyone mess with me!" Videl replied. "Now let me go!"

"Nope! Not until you apologize!" Gohan responded, earning a scathing look from the girl.

"I'd rather swallow my own eyeballs," she responded, trying to wiggle her body free.

"I think that would hurt quite a bit. But if that's what you want, it's fine by me!" Gohan said cheerily.

"Don't you have a class to go to?" Videl asked smugly.

"Nah, it's my free period, but if I remember correctly, you and Erasa have a Math test worth 30% of your grade in the next ten minutes."

Videl growled in defeat. He'd managed to upstage her once again! "I'm sorry," she muttered.

"What was that?" Gohan asked although he heard her loud and clear. "I didn't quite catch that!"

Videl fumed. "I said I'm sorry!" she yelled.

"Now that wasn't so hard was it?" Gohan said releasing her and patting her on the head, ignoring the death glare she sent his way.

Videl just grabbed Erasa and headed off to shower in time for class.

Sharpner stared with his mouth agape at the retreating girls. "H-how did you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" Gohan responded.

"Hold her down like that? She's beaten up guys three times her size with her eyes closed, man!" Sharpner responded as the two headed to the boy's locker room.

"She was very sloppy with her movements so all I had to do was take advantage of that," Gohan responded, stretching his arms a bit.

"So you do martial arts too?" Sharpner asked.

"Yeah, since I was a little kid!" Gohan replied. The cat was out of the bag the minute he removed his shirt so there was no use hiding it now. "I don't even remember how old I was when I started."

"Do you think you can help me with my technique? I'm a boxer and I really wanna win this year's competition." Sharpner asked.

"Sure! No prob!" Gohan responded.

"And I'm sorry for calling you a nerd earlier," Sharpner apologized.

"It's ok," Gohan responded as he stripped off his clothing. "I've been called worse."

As Gohan stepped into the shower, he reflected on his day so far. If he had to be honest, high school was a lot better than he thought. He'd already made two friends and once Videl admitted it, three!

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Read and Review please?


	3. And So the First Day Concludes

Back again with Chapter 3. Once again I do not own DBZ.

**_Last Time..._**

**_"And I'm sorry for calling you a nerd earlier," Sharpner apologized._**

**_"It's ok," Gohan responded as he stripped off his clothing. "I've been called worse."_**

**_As Gohan stepped into the shower, he reflected on his day so far. If he had to be honest, high school was a lot better than he thought. He'd already made two friends and once Videl admitted it, three!_**

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**And So the First Day Concludes**

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Soon enough, it was time for Gohan's favorite period: lunch! He had not eaten anything all day and his stomach was protesting vehemently. He dashed out of the classroom the second the bell rang with Erasa and Sharpner hot on his heels. Videl trailed along at a more moderate pace while attempting to drill a hole in the back of his head with her trusty Death Glare TM. As his friends headed over to the cafeteria, Gohan headed for the courtyard and took a seat under a large, shady cherry tree.

Reaching into the pocket of his book bag, Gohan fished for his lunch, producing a small capsule a short time later. He threw it a few feet away from him, producing a puff of smoke which quickly cleared to reveal not a buffet table, stacked with countless steaming plates of food, but a single small bowl of rice. Tears nearly welled up in the demi Saiyan's eyes as his father's other punishment resurfaced in his mind: one human-sized meal per day. How was he going to survive on this? Sighing, Gohan got out his chopsticks and ate at the slowest pace he had ever managed, planning to savour every bite. After all it was going to be an entire twenty-four hours before he'd get any more.

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Meanwhile, Sharpner, Erasa and Videl stared down at their lunch trays where the special for today sat. It was grayish brown in color, had a rather stinky odor and was semi solid. Although Orange Star High was an elite high school, its kitchen staff came from the same training facility as all the public schools. Erasa wrinkled her nose in disgust as she saw the bowl of slop jerk a little on its own. She quickly made a note to have her mom mention this abomination at the next PTA meeting.

"Ok, now that we have our mystery meal for the day, how about we go find Gohan!" Erasa chirped, trying to make the best of the situation.

Videl groaned. "Do we _have_ to sit next to him?" she whined. "I mean can't he find some friends of his own?"

Erasa giggled. "Don't be silly! We're his friends!" she chided. "And we have to make him feel welcome!"

"You mean he's _your_ friend," Videl growled gesturing to the two blondes. "Because he's certainly not mine!"

"Don't worry baby, I'll protect you from him," Sharpner said, snaking an arm around Videl's waist.

Videl growled and grabbed the offending appendage, using it to toss the blond into a conveniently placed trash can. Dusting off her hands she exclaimed, "Don't call me baby and I certainly do _not _need protection! Let's go, Erasa!"

As they stepped out onto Orange Star High's courtyard, they stopped in their tracks as they noticed the Son boy staring longingly at an empty bowl. "Why father?" they heard him whisper brokenly as he clutched himself, rocking back and forth.

_Did he just say 'why father'? He's holding his ribs. Does that mean that his father was the one who gave him that nasty bruise? Is he being abused at home? But he's so strong! I know he can fight from the way he held me down earlier. But if he can fight, how did he manage to get beat up like that? Surely his father could not be stronger than him. There's no way there are two people stronger than me, besides my father of course.I must get to the bottom of this! _With that final thought, Videl stomped over to him, standing intimidatingly (or so she thought) over the male teenager. Unfortunately for her, the boy didn't even notice her as muttered to himself, clutching his aching middle. Videl cleared her throat, drawing attention to herself. However, the Son boy did not look up at her once, too busy wallowing in self-pity.

"Gohan!" Videl shouted, grabbing his chin finally forcing the boy to look up at her. However she was taken aback at the absolute misery she saw reflected in the teenager's onyx eyes.

"Gohan!" she heard a high-pitched voice from behind her. In no time, Erasa had dropped her food tray next to Sharpner and embraced Gohan in a hug from behind. "What's wrong?" she blonde girl asked, genuinely worried about her new friend.

Videl whispered her hypothesis in Erasa's ear and then stood back, taking a seat next to Sharpner. She really didn't care who asked the questions as long as she got her answers. She watched as the blonde girl's eyes widened before they welled up with tears. "Does your dad really hit you, Gohan? Did he give you that bruise?" she asked softly stroking the boy's surprisingly soft spiky locks.

Gohan shook his head. "We were just sparring," he replied slowly much to Erasa and Sharpner's relief and to Videl's chagrin. So she had been way off with that conclusion. She felt a little stupid that it had never crossed her mind that he could have gotten that bruise from a spar. _Well I guess his dad really is strong. This does not look good for my chances at the WMAT title. _

"So what's wrong? What did your father do?" Erasa asked, thinking the worst.

"He…" Gohan started before closing his eyes and letting out a depressed sigh.

"It's ok, Gohan. You can tell us. We promise we won't let anything else happen to you," Erasa coaxed.

Gohan nodded with great difficulty. "He…he only gave me one bowl of rice for lunch!" he continued as if it were the worst thing in the world.

Videl, Sharpner and Erasa's mouths fell open in shock before they fell over anime style. This is what had the boy so worked up? The bowl wasn't even _that_ small.

Videl was the first to recover. "Are you freaking kidding me!" she yelled. "And to think I was almost worried about you!"

"Videl!" she reprimanded. "Can't you just be nice for once?"

Turning to Gohan, she said, "I'm really sorry about her. You can have my lunch if you want it."

Gohan looked at her as if she were his personal savior. Tears welled up in his eyes as he asked, "Really? You'd do that for me?"

Erasa nodded, trying not to laugh. It wasn't as if she were giving up much. She was pretty sure it was going straight to the trash anyway. However Gohan saw the slop as a divine blessing. The three could only watch as the tray of slop disappeared in 0.15 seconds.

"Thank you so much, Erasa," Gohan said gratefully, embracing the blode in a tight hug. "You're a true friend."

Erasa just hugged back, a huge sweatdrop lingering over her head.

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As the day went on, Gohan discovered he shared five classes with our resident hero, much to her chagrin. He also shared four with Erasa and Sharpner. Soon enough, the final bell rang. As he was about to leave, Erasa placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Gohan!" she said. "We're going to the mall this afternoon. You wanna come with?"

Gohan shook his head. "Sorry Erasa, but I have to run some errands for my parents plus I have a long trip home," Gohan replied with a smile. "Maybe next time."

The blonde girl's shoulders sagged slightly in disappointment. "Oh, ok," she responded. "See you tomorrow, then."

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Videl turned to her blonde friends with a huge smirk on her face. "Well, let's go!" she said beckoning to them.

"Where exactly _are_ we going?" Sharpner responded as he followed Videl behind a hedge.

"We're following him of course!" Videl responded in a hushed tone. "Don't be so loud! He might hear us!"

"Gohan?" Erasa whispered harshly. "But why?"

"He obviously hiding something and we're going to find out what!" Videl replied with purpose as she navigated behind some park benches.

"Like what? A secret girlfriend?" Sharpner sneered.

"I _don't know_!" Videl replied. "That's why we're following him."

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Meanwhile, Gohan's Saiyan senses tingled as he felt the trio trailing him from a distance.

"And here I thought they trusted me. No doubt Videl's behind this," Gohan grumbled. He was on his way to pick up his dad's anniversary present for him mom. He smirked as he walked through the doors of the nearby lingerie store. Would he love to see the look on Videl's face right now! The truth was, after being dragged around malls countless times between his mom, Bulma, Lime, Launch and 18, being in a lingerie store just didn't embarrass him anymore.

"Adult Playpen, huh?" Sharpner leered, raising his eyebrows. "New boy's got a little kinky side huh? Maybe he's a cross dresser! That could be his big secret!" he continued sarcastically.

"Don't be stupid Sharpner! Gohan's way to cute to be a drag queen! But what could he possibly be doing in there?" Erasa questioned.

"Come on! Let's go find out!" Videl said, trying to pull the two blondes along with her.

"Nah, I think I'll pass," Sharpner responded. "I'm sure whatever he's hiding, it's nothing illegal." He really just wanted to go to the mall and have some fun. He knew Gohan was cool and if he had any secrets he would let them know when he was ready

"Yeah, me too," Erasa said. "I don't think this is right."

"Fine!" Videl responded with a frown as her friends walked off. "I'll go by myself!"

She watched as a woman in her late twenties searched through the racks before she said jokingly to Gohan, "Aha! This would look perfect on me don't you think?"

Videl's eyes trailed to the pinkest, skimpiest scrap of cloth she had ever seen. _She would wear that? It looks like it came straight out of a porno movie!_

"Nah that's not your color. Green brings out your eyes more." Gohan joked tapping his chin in thought. He recognized the young woman from his days at West City University when he was only thirteen years old.

The young woman's emerald eyes sparkled as she giggled. "I knew I liked you the minute I laid eyes on you! If I were just a few years younger… Some lucky girl would be happy to have you!" she complimented.

"Don't you recognize me, Brittany? It's Gohan!" he replied.

Excitement radiated through the blonde's demeanor as she hugged him and shrieked excitedly, "Gohan? The cute little shrimp from WCU?"

Videl stared at the conversing friends in disbelief. _He went to WCU? How could he possibly have gone to WCU if he's only my age?_

"Hey! I wasn't _that_ little," Gohan defended.

"What are you talking about? You were about level with my chest," the girl responded. "Oh my gosh! You look so grown up now! And you cut your hair!"

Videl jotted down these facts as she heard them in her notebook. _So he used to go to WCU and had longer hair._

Gohan blushed at the attention he was getting, running a hand through his short locks. "Yeah, dad banished me to high school and mom said I'd look too much like a "delinquent" with long hair," Gohan responded with a laugh.

_So being sent to high school was some kind of punishment for him?_

"That sounds just like her. What did you do to your dad this time?" Brittany responded. Gohan was notorious at WCU for being a prankster, even to his own parents.

"Pretty much developed a drug that would give him ED for a week," Gohan answered, laughing at the incredulous look on his old friend's face.

_He developed drugs and fed them to his father? But he's not qualified! He could have killed him! I think that's basis enough to warrant a police search of his house._

"Seriously, Gohan?" the young woman responded. "Well, I guess that's what they get when they send a thirteen year old to college."

Gohan just grinned innocently. "So what have you been up to?" he asked casually.

"Well Dean and I are finally getting married so I'm shopping for our honeymoon!" Brittany said showing Gohan her diamond and emerald engagement ring.

"Congratulations!" Gohan remarked. "I knew you guys would stay together. I wish you a long and happy marriage!"

"Thanks! Anyways I got to get going! Here's my number so we can catch up!" her young woman said, handing him a business card.

Gohan just chuckled and waved back as the young lady waved goodbye to him.

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"Hello, handsome!" the girl at the front desk greeted, flirtatiously.

"Good afternoon, miss," Gohan responded politely. "I came to pick up a package for Mr. Son."

"You're getting right down to business, aren't you?" the girl responded at his evasiveness. "I'll go check in the back!"

Not a minute later, the girl returned with Chi Chi's present. "Wow! You have good taste!" the girl exclaimed. "Would you like some flavored condoms to along with it?"

Gohan's eyes bugged out of his head as his cheeks turned cherry red once again. "Oh, no thanks!" he replied. "It's for my mom!"

The girl made a face. "You bought sexy underwear for your _mom_?" she asked incredulously.

"No!" Gohan responded, trying to shake the memories of the many times he's caught his parents going at it out of his head. "My dad bought it for my mom for their anniversary. I'm just the delivery boy here."

"Oh! That makes sense. I thought you were one of those freaks for a second," the girl responded.

Gohan just chuckled uneasily and gave her a little wave before heading over to the empty corner of the store, where the spying girl stood.

As he approached the rack she was hiding in he pretended to act surprised. "Videl?" he asked. "What are you doing here and on the floor?"

She got up, dusting herself off while blushing. "It's none of your business Gohan!" Videl said.

"Aww! Embarrassed to be caught picking out a new bra, Videl?" he teased causing Videl to go cherry red. He grinned inwardly.

"No you jerk!" Videl yelled, surprised he had the guts to tease her that way. Then her eyes narrowed as she turned the tables on him. "Besides what are you doing here?"

Gohan's face turned serious. "Feeling highly annoyed that you have been following me since I left school. Care to explain?" he said in a cold voice, raising his eyebrow.

Videl's eyes widened as she realized she was caught before she caught herself. "I don't have to explain anything to a nobody like you," she said defiantly, expecting him to back off.

Gohan's eyes flashed teal for a second. Suddenly, Videl found herself against the wall, her face inches away from Gohan's. "Listen and listen well. Your father might be Hercule but that doesn't give you the right to follow me around. Don't let me catch you doing it again," he said in a cold voice.

Videl was shocked for a second. She never thought Gohan could be so cold. _Wait. I don't have to stand here and take this! He's not my father! _Glaring at him she raised her leg, ready to kick him where the sun don't shine when his arm came down like lightning, pinning her legs to the wall as well.

"That's a low blow. Even for a two bit martial artist like you!" Gohan growled at her.

"Two bit? I'll show you two bit!" Videl shouted as she punched him with all she had only for him to chuckle.

"Pitiful. A true martial artist also knows when they are outmatched," he said.

"What do you know about martial arts anyway?" Videl countered as she struggled against him. "You just had a lucky break this morning. You should be thankful I went easy on you!"

"Easy huh?" Gohan chided. "So tell me, if I'm so weak, why can't you break free?"

"It's a trick!" she said. "It's got to be all a trick!"

Gohan laughed mirthlessly. "You really are your father's daughter aren't you?" he said shaking his head in pity before he let her go.

As soon as she was free, she charged at him, kicking and punching him with all her might. "Aha! You're wearing some kind of body armor aren't you?" she accused.

Gohan just laughed and pushed her away gently. "How did you guess!" he said sarcastically. "It's called bone and muscle, perhaps you've heard of it?"

Seeing she was fighting a losing battle, Videl played her last card. "I can have you arrested for assault!" she said triumphantly knowing she had won.

"So can I. You've got no proof. It's your word against mine," Gohan countered.

"That's right! But who are the cops going to believe? Me, the daughter of the world's savior or you, the nerdy new kid at OSH?" she smirked at him.

"Yeah," Gohan said hanging his head in defeat. "They would believe you wouldn't they?"

Videl nodded looking like the cat that caught the canary. "Yup! Now tell me all your secrets before I go to the cops!" she demanded.

"Not before I file a restraining order against you," Gohan smirked, wagging a finger before pointing above his head. "Security cameras do not lie," he added before walking off.

Videl growled in frustration. He had backed her up against the wall in the blind spot of the camera but her attempt to attack him was clearly visible. He'd one upped her yet again! It just wasn't fair!

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"Big brother! Big brother! You're home! You're finally home!" Goten yelled, tackling Gohan to the ground the minute he landed in front of the Son residence.

It was Goku's pride and joy, one that he had spent many grueling months completing. It was a two story wooden structure which had five large bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, large kitchen, den, sitting room, study, dining room, laundry room and an attic. There was a huge back patio in the middle of which sat a hot tub. A small playground was also there for Goten's benefit. There was also a small lab where Goku did much of his inventing.

It turned out that Goku had inherited the scientific mind of his father. His inventions rivaled Bulma's in every way. Thus, in order not to create competition, the Sons had a 50% share in Capsule Corps although to the media at the Sons' request, the Briefs' maintained full control. Goku managed most of the mechanical and martial arts divisions while Bulma tended to deal with the medical, clothing and cosmetic divisions of the company. Vegeta also surprised the Z-team with his excellent entrepreneurial skills. The man had a mind for business and his ideas had sent Capsule Corp to new heights. It had gotten to the point where Bulma started sending _him_ to business meetings instead of going herself.

"Hey squirt!" Gohan replied. "What did you do today?"

The young demi Saiyan placed his index finger on his chin before rambling on. "Well… I woke up, went downstairs for breakfast, then I called Trunks to see if he could come over and his mom said yes so I went outside to play until he came and when he came we went out into the forest and caught some fish then we went swimming and then we dyed daddy's hair orange when he was sleeping but don't tell him it was us and then mommy made us lunch the Trunks went home then I found a frog and I wanted to keep him as a pet but mommy said I couldn't keep him then you came home!"

"Looks like you had a full day, squirt!" Gohan laughed, marveling at how he could say that much without stopping to take a breath. "How about we go inside?"

"Ok!" Goten cheered, getting up from his perch on Gohan's chest. The elder Son boy concealed the package in his backpack in case his mom got curious before following his younger sibling.

"Hi mom," Gohan greeted his mom with a kiss on the cheek. "I'm home."

"Gohan!" Chi Chi greeted. "How was your first day? Did those kids treat you well? Did you make any friends? Did you make any girlfriends? I could just imagine how cute my grandchildren will be!"

Gohan looked incredulously at his mother as she stared into space with stars in her eyes, all the while clutching an invisible child to her chest. He shook his head, feeling sorry for any future children he might have. They probably wouldn't last too long if she planned on hugging them like that. Seeing his mother would not be coming out of her fantasy for a while, Gohan headed to his parents' room.

As promised, Goku lay on the king-sized bed, fast asleep, his hair the same bright orange hue as the gi bottoms he was wearing. Barely concealing a laugh, Gohan shook his father awake.

The older Son rubbed his eyes sleepily and yawned. "Hey Gohan," he greeted as he sat up and stretched his arms. "How was school today? Did you make any friends?"

"It was as expected, really: boring as hell. I made two friends and had the misfortune of running into the spawn of Satan," Gohan replied.

"Aw, come on, Gohan," Goku said, "They can't be _that_ bad."

"She tried to attack me _twice_ today _and _she stalked me after school," Gohan said, raising an eyebrow.

His father only grinned widely, reminiscing on his meeting and subsequent courtship with Chi Chi. For some reason; the stalking and random attacks only heightened his attraction to her. They were about to celebrate their twentieth anniversary with a fifth honeymoon at the Ox Kingdom's Summer Palace. He couldn't believe it was that long already. "I think someone's got a little crush on you!" Goku teased.

"Crush?" Gohan said, ignoring the slight blush developing on his cheeks. "She doesn't have a crush on me! She just got it in her head that I'm hiding secrets from her and she's determined to uncover them."

Goku's grin got even wider. "Well, you kinda are keeping secrets from her," he replied.

"Dad!" Gohan exclaimed in exasperation. "You're not helping."

Goku smirked. "Was I supposed to be helping?" he teased.

Gohan just rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in despair. "Whatever," he said. "I'm going to my room now. Enjoy your vacation," He took the package out of his bag, dumped it on the bed next to his father and headed out the door. He had to have the craziest parents out there. Passing through the hallway, he spied his mother, who was now changing the invisible baby's diaper. Definitely the craziest parents.

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Walking through his bedroom door, Gohan dropped his back pack on the floor and stripped down to his boxers. Who knew a day of doing absolutely nothing could take so much out of you? He turned to his bed, ready to jump in when he noticed one of his best friends, Lime under the covers.

Lime was a pretty, short girl with long auburn hair and beautiful green eyes. He had met her in a nearby village just before the Cell Games, saving her from drowning in a river. At first she had thought he was a pervert as he had held her around her chest but once that was resolved, the two had become like brother and sister, so much so that she knew everything about the Saiyans. Lime's parents had been consumed by Cell, but were brought back afterwards by Shenlong. Her parents had sent her to study with Chi Chi during the day after hearing of Gohan's academic achievements. Now she was a world famous photographer, holding several degrees in photography and design. She pretty much had her own room at the Son household, as did Future Trunks or Mirai, as they called him. He had returned from the future about three years ago when his mother had died in his time. He now lived in the Briefs household as an older brother to present day Trunks. Mirai was a bit behind in his schooling seeing as he had life or death matters to deal with in the future, however, Chi Chi quickly remedied the situation and now all three of them were at the same educational level.

"Lime!" Gohan yelled, "What are you doing in here? Don't you have your own bed?"

Lime just looked up at him sleepily, annoyed at the disturbance. "Your bed is comfier," she replied groggily.

Gohan rolled his eyes but decided not to argue. The girl was very stubborn when she wanted to be. "Move over," he said, taking the space next to her before falling asleep.

Approximately ten minutes later, they were both jolted out of their slumber as a loud yell echoed through the house, "GOTEN!" Then and only then did Gohan collapse into a fit of laughter.

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Review?


	4. Another Day of Torture

Hey everyone. Back with another chapter. I don't own DBZ.

**_Last time..._**

_**Gohan rolled his eyes but decided not to argue. The girl was very stubborn when she wanted to be. "Move over," he said, taking the space next to her before falling asleep.**_

_**Approximately ten minutes later, they were both jolted out of their slumber as a loud yell echoed through the house, "GOTEN!" Then and only then did Gohan collapse into a fit of laughter.**_

* * *

**Another Day of Torture**

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At exactly 7:58 the next morning, Gohan landed on the school roof. He had two minutes to get to Physics class and he was determined he was going to make it this time. He jogged rather slowly to room 301, although to a normal human it would seem like he was running a marathon. He opened the door and was just about to step in when a small force slammed into his back, sending him slightly off balance. Annoyed, he looked back only to find Videl getting up off the floor, rubbing her forehead in slight pain.

"Must you do this every day?" he asked.

Videl only growled at him. "What the hell is your back made of? Titanium?" she muttered walking into the room as the bell rang.

"I thought we'd already established that it was bone and muscle, my dear," Gohan responded, patronizingly.

"Don't call me that! I'm no one's _dear_!" she retorted spitting the word out like a vile poison.

"Aw! Little Videl just needs somebody to love her doesn't she?" Gohan teased, enjoying the red flare that spread across Videl's face like a wildfire.

"AHEM!" a deep masculine voice sounded.

The two whirled around to see Mr. Tanchi glaring at them, obviously very annoyed that they were delaying the start of his class.

Gohan bowed. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Tanchi," he said, giving the Son grin. "I just wanted to cheer Videl up. She looked kind of angry."

Mr. Tanchi grinned broadly, something unheard of for the strict teacher. "I'm convinced that girl was born with that look on her face. I'm afraid you have your work cut out for you, Mr. Son, just don't do it during my class time."

"Noted, sir!" Gohan responded. "It won't happen again."

The teacher smiled at Gohan as he headed to his seat next to the window before turning his glare on Videl. "Miss Satan, this is your third tardy this week! Don't even bother to mention the police. They let us know when they need your help. You have detention at 3:00 this afternoon!" he bellowed.

Videl bowed her head, inwardly cursing the Son boy for being in her way. She never even opened her mouth to defend herself. She was terrified of this teacher although she would never admit it. Suddenly like a Godsend, someone came to her defense.

"Mr. Tanchi," Gohan said. "I don't think you should give Videl a detention. She walked into the room before the bell rang."

"Are you questioning my judgment, Mr. Son," the teacher said, turning his glare upon the Son boy. To his surprise the teenager didn't even flinch but merely put his hand behind his head and grinned.

"Of course not, Mr. Tanchi," he said. "I was just pointing out a fact you might have missed. You see, it was approximately 7:59:45 when I walked into the door. Videl hit my back at 7:59:47 and fell backwards. By the time she got up it was 7:59:55 and she walked into the door at 7:59:59, ergo, she was early."

Everyone in the room stared at the teenage boy in astonishment. He just grinned back at them.

"And how do you know exactly what time it was?" Mr. Tanchi responded, finally finding his voice.

"My watch, of course," Gohan grinned showing them a complicated-looking watch bearing the Capsule Corp logo.

"M-Mr. Son!" Mr. Tanchi responded. "That is a Capsule Corp watch used only in the military! How do you have one?"

"Oh, my dad designed it so he got me one for my birthday," Gohan responded offhandedly.

"Count yourself lucky, Miss Satan. You're off the hook," Mr. Tanchi muttered. Mr. Son's father was Goku Son, head of the weapons department at Capsule Corporation _and_ former WMAT champion! What was it with this school and attracting important people? It definitely wasn't the level of intelligence of the students. That's for sure.

Gohan sat back down in his seat and grinned to himself as Videl glared at him through the corner of her eye when she thought he wasn't looking. After a few minutes, he waved at her with a smirk on his face, almost laughing out loud when she abruptly turned to the front. He was having way too much fun with this girl.

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A few periods later, it was lunch time. Gohan linked up with Erasa and Sharpner, who were literally dragging a reluctant Videl to his cherry tree.

As they sat down, Gohan opened his lunch capsule revealing four plates of delicious looking food. "I asked my mom to make extra so you guys can get some. I will not have my friends eat any more of that crap from the cafeteria. Take as much as you want," he said handing them each a plate.

"I love you, man," Sharpner said as he bit into a delicious sushi roll. "No homo."

"It's cool," Gohan responded with a grin. "Don't you want some, Videl," he asked, staring at the girl who was looking at the meal with a suspicious glare. "Or shall I have to tell my mother you've blatantly rejected her hospitality."

"Videl," Erasa said through her teeth, jabbing her friend in her side. "Be nice and take some food. It's delicious!"

"Fine," she said, drably, taking some food into her plate. She ate it cautiously.

"Videl, believe me. If I wanted to poison you, you'd never know what hit you," Gohan responded, just as she swallowed, setting off Videl's warning bells.

She looked up in alarm and was about to make herself throw up when she saw the amused expression on her nemesis' face. She glared at him. "I hate you!" she growled.

"Aww. I love you too, Videl," Gohan responded, cheekily.

"So Videl," Erasa said, loving this exchange. However, although she knew Gohan could hold his own against Videl, she changed the subject. "What is this I hear about Gohan saving your ass from detention?"

"Where did you hear that?" Videl growled.

Erasa gave a non-committal wave. "Around," she said vaguely. "So what's the deal?" she continued looking at Gohan as Videl obviously wasn't going to give any answers.

Gohan gave a maniacal grin before starting. "Well, Videl bumped into me _again_ this morning," he began, earning a growl from the girl. "Anyway we were talking and then the teacher let me in with a warning and was going to give Videl detention because she was already late three times this week." Erasa and Sharpner nodded. "And it's only Wednesday…" Gohan mused. "Videl, shall I get you an alarm clock for Christmas?"

Gohan dodged as the girl sent a potentially devastating blow to his face. "Videl what did we say about being nice?" Gohan reprimanded.

"Bite me," Videl growled at him.

"You know in my father's culture you'd be asking me to marry you," Gohan remarked with smirk as Videl gave a disgusted look.

"I'd rather eat my own shit," Videl responded scathingly.

Erasa moved to apologize once again for her friend's behavior but Gohan waved her off. "It's ok," he said. "I'm not hurt at all. I want a lady, not a bitch."

Videl lunged for his neck tackling him to the ground while she attempted to choke the life out of the insignificant runt. Sharpner and Erasa gasped in shock. Taking the initiative, the blond boy sprung up and grabbed Videl, effectively lifting her off the dark-haired boy. The teenage boy lay on the ground, gasping for air, but not for reasons they expected. He was actually laughing his ass off!

The three regarded him warily as he lay there laughing for almost five minutes. Unsteadily he got up between fits of giggles. "Wow, Videl that was something my little brother would do. I mean-hic!" Gohan hiccupped.

It was the human students' turn to begin laughing. Gohan had let out the cutest hiccup they had ever heard. Getting in on the action, Videl remarked, "Was that a kitten I just heard?"

Sharpner also egged him on. "Wow, dude! That has got to be the unmanliest thing you have done since you got here!" he teased between fits of laughter.

Gohan sent them a glare as he blushed to the roots of his hair. Payback was a bitch wasn't it? Erasa decided to take pity on him. "Anyway Gohan, how did you get Videl out of detention?" she asked, really wanting to find out how Gohan managed to change the mind of the most hard-ass teacher in the school.

"I pretty much made up some crap –hic-" Gohan started but was interrupted by Sharpner and Videl's loud laughter as he let out another hiccup. He chose to ignore them and continued. "Any way I made up some crap about her being a second-hic-hic- late-hic-and-hic-" By now the two were rolling on the floor with laughter forcing the Son boy to clam up in embarrassment. Instead, he texted Erasa, "I'll tell you later."

888

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Review please?


	5. Initiation into Hell

I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**"I pretty much made up some crap –hic-" Gohan started but was interrupted by Sharpner and Videl's loud laughter as he let out another hiccup. He chose to ignore them and continued. "Any way I made up some crap about her being a second-hic-hic- late-hic-and-hic-" By now the two were rolling on the floor with laughter forcing the Son boy to clam up in embarrassment. Instead, he texted Erasa, "I'll tell you later."**_

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A month later, a small body moved through the shadows of the Son household. He opened the door to the room which his target occupied slowly and silently, just enough for him to slip inside undetected. He glimpsed the teenaged boy still in the world of slumber and felt sorry for what he was about to do for a second. The body's stomach grumbled, reminding him of the purpose of his mission: breakfast. Taking aim, the small body launched itself into the air with a mighty leap landing perfectly on his target's stomach jarring him out of his sleep. As the teenaged boy shot up, the small body, now known as Goten, back flipped to avoid the mighty hand of his older brother swatting him into the wall. Landing back on his brother's stomach, he took a deep breath as he began his whine.

"Gohaaaan! Get uuuppp! You have to go to school and mom said me and dad can't eat breakfast until you come down so huuuurrrry!" he said.

"Fine! I'm up!" Gohan replied, annoyed before getting out of bed. He had grown closer to Erasa and Sharpner, going out with them after school almost every day, much to the chagrin of Videl. He continued his stint as the Gold Fighter, although he made sure to show up only when Videl needed help. He was also OSH's star goalie. The minute Chi Chi heard that they would win full ride scholarships; she demanded he sign up, although he had already graduated from the most influential universities around. So far the team remained undefeated. Gohan's popularity had also shot through the roof. Being a little reserved, Gohan tended to stick to his original friends, although he maintained his warm personality with everyone else, earning him the title of OSH's nicest jock.

Running into the bathroom, Gohan showered and brushed his teeth, coming out in nothing but a towel. Rummaging through his closet, Gohan dropped the towel and pulled on a pair of black jeans, a green t-shirt and a black leather jacket before joining his family for breakfast. Needless to say, after his first day, Gohan burned that outfit.

"Morning," he greeted taking a seat next to his father.

"Good Morning, Gohan," Goku and Chi Chi replied.

"Finally! Can we eat now?" Goten asked his mother only to receive a devastating blow from the Frying Pan of Doom TM.

"Goten! That was very rude of you! Now say good morning to your brother!" Chi Chi commanded.

"Morning, Gohan," Goten said grudgingly clutching the large welt that was forming in the middle of his head.

"Ok, let's eat!" Goku said, after being given the go-ahead by Chi Chi. The Son boys tore into their meal like it was their last, managing to decimate an entire table in under five minutes.

"Thanks, mom," Gohan said, swallowing down his last mouthful of orange juice while putting on his black and green Chucks. "I've got to go now, bye!"

"Bye!" the rest of the family replied.

"Do you think we should have told him?" Chi Chi asked her husband as she sat in his lap.

"Nope!" Goku responded, an evil smirk on his face.

"Ooh! I like it when you go all Saiyan on me," Chi Chi responded flirtatiously.

Goku chuckled. "Not in front of Goten. I think we managed to corrupt Gohan at least ten times by the time he was his age."

"True," Chi Chi giggled, blushing. "We've been horrible parents haven't we?"

"Nah!" Goku shrugged kissing his wife. "He turned out fine!"

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Meanwhile, at the Satan Mansion, Videl lay fast asleep within the twisted sheets of her king-sized bed. For once there was no scowl on her face, only peaceful serenity.

_Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Bee-_. The alarm clock's monotonous cries were instantly halted as the teenaged girl hurled it across the room, shattering it into a thousand pieces. She sat up, put on her scowl and ran to the bathroom to prepare for yet another day of school. _And another day in which I can finally reveal to the world Gohan's secrets and unmask the Gold Fighter. Well, he doesn't wear a mask but… you know what I mean!_

In about ten minutes, the Satan girl was dressed in her signature outfit of pink undershirt, white oversized T-shirt and black bicycle shorts. With little more than a flick of the wrist, she gathered her long hair into messy pigtails and pulled on her fingerless gloves. Running downstairs, she grabbed a piece of toast and stuffed it into her mouth, as she pulled on her black combat boots. She waved goodbye to the maid as she uncapsulated her yellow jetcopter, ready to face another day.

She landed on the roof of the school, ran through the doors and down the stairs. She only had a minute left before the bell rang. As she rounded the corner, she hit the brick wall she knew all too well to be her nemesis, Gohan Son. She didn't even bother bracing herself for impact as she knew the Son boy would catch her before she fell.

"Good Morning, Videl," he greeted cheerily with the big stupid grin she hated so much. He could get away with murder if he flashed that grin. He was constantly late for school and all he had to do was flash that grin and he would be immediately excused. Not even, she, the daughter of Hercule got away with tardiness. It was the grin of a deceitful liar; a person that kept secrets and she would not allow herself to fall under the spell of his charming personality like every other person in the school had managed to, no matter how hard he tried to make her his friend. She couldn't even kick his ass to wipe the stupid grin off his face because he was clearly stronger than her and didn't hesitate to remind her of it each time she tried. This was why he was number one on her list as the identity of the Gold Fighter.

He was another person that got on her nerves. He was also clearly stronger than her and for that reason alone she hated him. He used those tricks her father had said the fighters from the Cell Games had used and there was no doubt in her mind that he was the little delivery boy all grown up. His handsome face but detached demeanor only seemed to draw the people of the city to him, so much so that the police had offered to give him a watch similar to Videl's. She was grateful for his sake that he didn't accept or she would have torn off his head immediately for stealing her job, never mind the weird fact that he only showed up when her life was in danger. Still she cursed him for making her seem like a damsel in distress which she most certainly was _not_!

She came out of her internal thrashing of the two banes of her existence as she noticed Gohan waving a hand in front of her face. Glaring at him, she bared her teeth, ready to strike if he tried something stupid.

"Ah! She's awake," Gohan teased, wiping his brow. "No need to call the ambulance."

"Shut up!" Videl barked at him, gathering her books.

"Aw! That one hurt!" Gohan mocked. "And to think I was only looking out for you."

"I don't_ need_ anyone to look out for me. I can look after myself!" Videl shouted back at him.

Right then, the bell rang. Videl cursed.

"You sure you don't need help?" Gohan grinned. "If I remember correctly, this will be your third tardy this week and you know that means detention."

Videl scowled. Did she mention she hated his photographic memory too? She growled and her shoulders slumped in defeat. She really didn't want to go to detention. "What do you have in mind?" she asked dryly.

Gohan only grinned wider.

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"OW!" Videl screamed as she walked through the door of the classroom. It was a few minutes before the bell rang for the _end_ of the period.

"Hey! The nurse said not to walk on it for a couple hours," Gohan chided as she supported her from the waist. In his defense, he had only planned on making her hair get caught in his jacket. However Videl rebelled as usual and managed to get a nail jammed into her foot that was lying around in the woodshop classroom they had retreated to. In the end, they ended up having to take a trip to the nurse and Videl ended up having to take the tetanus shot she'd been avoiding. Needless to say she was royally pissed at him now.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Suzuki!" Gohan apologized, somehow managing to bow while keeping Videl steady. "Videl had an accident this morning so I took her to the nurse and stayed with her to make sure she'd be alright."

Ms. Suzuki was an elderly, round woman who was usually quite strict but had a soft spot for Gohan. "Oh! How nice of you!" she praised. "Videl, dear! You were so lucky to have Mr. Son around you when your accident happened. Be sure to thank him!" she continued with a wink. _Oh if I were just a few years younger!_

Videl shivered in disgust._ The only thanks he's going to get is my crutch up his ass! _ She shot him a withering look as he helped her to her seat. "This is the last time I accept any help from you!" she whispered harshly at him.

"I was suggesting you stick two centimeters of hair in my jacket zipper but you decided to go stab yourself!" Gohan defended.

All the while Erasa and Sharpner watched in amusement. "Nerd Boy what did you get yourself into now?" Sharpner chuckled good naturedly at Gohan. "You know she's never going to let that go." At first, he had called him Nerd Boy as an insult but now it became like a nickname.

Gohan laughed at his friend's comment. "I don't doubt that for an instant, Blondie. I think she's got a long line of grudges up her ass!" he whispered conspiratorially to his friend.

All the while Videl fumed. She was determined she was going to discover this boy's secrets once and for all!

888

"Listen up class! I have some very good news!" Ms. Suzuki said.

The class perked up, turning their attention to the front of the room.

"Well, you know that every year one senior class gets to go on a two week long trip," she said.

The class nodded in anticipation.

"Well, here to introduce this year's field trip are two very special guests: Mirai Briefs, Son of Bulma Briefs and Lime Mizuki, the famous photographer!" she introduced, sounding very much like a game show host.

At this, the class went wild. Exited whispers broke through the classroom as the two young people stepped into the room. With that Lime walked in the door followed by a well-built young man with lavender hair and blue eyes wearing a Capsule Corp jacket and yellow cargo pants.

"Hey everyone!" Mirai said, secretly smirking at the slack jawed expression on his best friend's face. "This class has been selected to go on a two week long survival trip in the 297 Mountain Area!" he said.

Lime continued, "There you will learn the basic skills of survival and martial arts. Two semi- finalists in the World Martial Arts Tournament will be your instructors and Capsule Corp's own Bulma Briefs will monitor your progress!"

The class cheered as Gohan nearly fell out of his seat in shock. How could Bulma and his parents do this to him? How could Mirai and Lime do this without giving him any warning? They'd even suppressed their ki so he wouldn't notice them coming.

"Who are the martial artists?" Videl asked.

"That will remain a surprise," Miss Suzuki said, although Gohan didn't have to guess twice. "Everyone, take a permission slip and have it signed by Wednesday or you won't be able to go. The bus will leave at 7:00 a.m. sharp next Friday so be on time."

"Oh my gosh, Videl!" Erasa bubbled. "We're actually going to meet Bulma Briefs!"

"I wonder if she's as sexy as they say she is," Sharpner said only for Mirai to send a glare at him.

"Dude!" he yelled. "That's my mom we're talking about!"

"Aren't you exited Gohan?" Erasa asked practically bouncing in her seat as the visitors left.

Gohan only groaned as her words jarred him out of his mantra of hitting his desk with his head over and over again while cursing his parents and Bulma. In actuality Gohan was dreading this day. Videl looked on with glee. This was the one thing that had ever happened that made Gohan lose his cool demeanor. She was sure this field trip will reveal his secrets in no time!

"Gohan! You're going to meet Bulma Briefs and famous martial artists! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Erasa screamed at him.

"Nerd Boy's probably worried that he'll get eaten by a bee!" Sharpner teased.

Gohan rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Remember you won't be able to bring your calculator with you," Sharpner continued promptly shutting up when he saw the glare Gohan shot his way. This was obviously a touchy subject for him.

888

Soon enough, the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Even as all the other students as well as the teacher shuffled out of the room, Gohan still sat at his desk, staring ahead in shock.

"Aw, come on! It's not _that_ serious!" he heard a male voice from behind him.

Gohan didn't even have to look to notice the wide smirk on Mirai's face. "Yes! Everything is fan-friggin-tastic!" he replied sardonically.

"Don't give me that look! You know I hate it when you do that!" Mirai teased, only to receive a small but dense ki ball to the chest. "OW! Damn! What was _that_ for?"

A satisfied smirk made its way to Gohan's face. "Oh, just a little prelude to the spar we're going to have later today," he replied mysteriously. "I think I might also tell Lime of the crush you've been harboring on her these past few years."

"You wouldn't!" Mirai yelled, scandalized, inventing a new shade of red.

"Try me," Gohan deadpanned.

"Ok, ok!" Mirai responded in defeat. "What do you want?"

"You _both _are coming with us on that trip!" Gohan replied, without missing a beat.

Mirai's eyes widened in horror. "What? You can't be serious!"

"You had a hand in making those pills and Lime was the one who slipped them into dad's food. Do you _think_ I was going to let you guys get away scotch free while I rot every day in this hellhole?" Gohan responded rhetorically.

Mirai could only shake his head with a rather large gulp. Now all he had to do was convince Lime and pray she agreed.

All the while, the teenagers didn't notice Videl listening at the door. _ Wait! How does Gohan know the son of Bulma Briefs? Oh right. He said his dad worked for Capsule Corps. But still how does he know the family? What other secrets do you have to hide Son Gohan? It seems every time I find out some answers from you, Gohan all I end up with is more questions. _She wrote down these new developments on her little notepad before joining Erasa and Sharpner.

888

Three periods later, it was lunch time. Gohan made his way to his favorite eating place, followed by his friends. For obvious reasons, he really didn't feel that hungry today. Erasa, Sharpner and Videl watched as he ate at a normal pace, which, for him was equivalent to picking at his food.

"Gohan?" Erasa asked carefully. "Are you feeling ok?"

Gohan gave her a grim smile. "I'll be fine," he responded.

"Still worried about the trip aren't you?" Videl commented cruelly. "I can't wait for your little secrets to be revealed."

Gohan's eyes snapped up at her and she was greeted with a death glare that made her almost want to piss her pants. "Leave," he commanded, shortly. He knew the next brash comment she made was going to send him over the edge.

"_Excuse me!_" Videl retorted, offended.

"Get your prissy ass up and get out of my face!" Gohan responded, enunciating every word.

"Who the _hell_ do you think you are?" Videl argued getting even closer to him. "Do I need to _remind_ you who I am?"

Gohan twisted his face in disgust. "That's right. You are the selfish, spoiled brat who lives in her father's shadow and uses daddy's name to bully people into getting whatever she wants. Isn't that right?"

Videl recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "I am no bully and I don't use my father's name to manipulate people!" she screamed.

"Tell that to all the little freshmen you've beat up for simply being in your way. I'm sure they'll agree," Gohan replied coldly. "And the only reason the police allow you to fight crime is because of you father. The world does not revolve around you."

Videl could find no response to that. It was true. Her life was nothing but an extension of her father's. She knew she was only popular because of her father. She was a pretty girl who dressed in boyish clothes and never hesitated to get her hands dirty. That wasn't attractive yet boys lined up outside her house begging for a date with her and it was all because of her father. Suddenly the reality of the situation caught up to her and tears began to well up in her eyes so she turned heel and ran. The daughter of Hercule Satan never cried.

Gohan turned to face Sharpner and Erasa who both sat looking at him in shock. He managed a grim smile. "I'm sorry I had to do this, but she needed a wake-up call," he said quietly.

The two blondes nodded in agreement. Videl had always been a bit on the offensive side but ever since Gohan had showed up, she had taken her bitchiness to a whole new level and treated the boy like dirt although he didn't deserve it. She was their friend but she needed to learn her place.

"I'm going to see if she's ok," Erasa said, getting up, leaving the two boys alone.

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Reviews please?


	6. The Apology

Back again and still do not have ownership of DBZ...

_**Last time...**_

_**Suddenly the reality of the situation caught up to her and tears began to well up in her eyes so she turned heel and ran. The daughter of Hercule Satan never cried.**_

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For the next week, Gohan avoided Videl although she continued to stare at him when he wasn't looking. It was not the suspicious glare she had become accustomed to giving him but was instead one of intrigue. She realized again that there was a lot more to this boy than met the eye. He had secrets; there was no doubt about it, but then again, so did she. She had no right to try to stalk him, to treat him like a common criminal simply because she wanted to expose him. She just had no right and now she was disgusted with herself. As he opened her eyes to her behavior, she had gotten a glimpse into his eyes and knew he had experienced great pain in his life; probably worse than the pain she felt when her mother declared she was leaving her and never looked back. If she never told anybody what had happened, why would he want to tell her, the girl who treated him like crap, about his life? She just wanted to take back every nasty word she had ever spoken to him and every dirty look she had ever thrown at him.

It was only since he had stopped talking to her did she realize how much she missed him. Part of her actually enjoyed the banters they had; the times they would end up running into each other. Even the times they sparred and she lost, she realized she missed. Sharpner and Erasa were also clearly taking his side on this one. It wasn't that they stopped talking to her completely, but they tended to be distant. As she walked through the halls, she noticed the freshmen scampering to get out of her way as they gave her quick and fearful glances. She chuckled humorlessly to herself as she realized the Son boy was right about her behavior towards them as well. Even the Gold Fighter was less interested in her. He came and saved the day when she needed help but never stuck around so she could get another clue as to who he was. This, added to the fact that she rarely ever saw her father made Videl feel, for the first time, utterly alone.

Over the past week, she hadn't been sleeping well. She was constantly plagued by nightmares in which she was left alone with no one to comfort her. Sometimes the dreams involved the police officers, who took away her badge and communicator roughly stating that they no longer needed her help. Other dreams involved Sharpner and Erasa walking away completely from her. In still others, she was forced to fight an unseen force but always lost no matter how hard she tried. It was now Thursday, the day before the field trip and she knew what she needed to do. She needed to apologize to Gohan, to the freshmen, to Sharpner and Erasa, even to the Gold Fighter. That was her new mission and she was determined to accomplish it.

Within the first three periods, she had managed to apologize to her two blonde friends and to the freshmen. When the police called her in for a case, she apologized to them and the Gold Fighter, who actually smiled at her for the first time. Gohan was proving to be the hardest though. He continued to avoid her, walking away each time she approached him. It was now the final period of the day and she was determined to catch him before he left for the day. She gathered her things two minutes before the bell rang to signal the end of the school day. The minute the teacher granted them release, she chased after the boy, finally meeting him at his locker.

As she approached him, the nervousness finally caught up to her. She took a deep breath before calling out his name. He looked up at her and realizing who it was turned his head away from her.

"Please, just hear me out," Videl begged, breathing a sigh of relief when the Son boy turned to face her.

"You have ten seconds," Gohan responded shortly.

"I-I just wanted to apologize for all the mean things I said and the way I've treated you. I've been a bitch and I'm really sorry. Could we- maybe start over?" she said all in one breath. It felt really good now that she got it all out.

Gohan chuckled at her antics. "My name is Gohan Son. Nice to meet you," he answered sticking out a hand.

A bright smile lit up Videl's face. "I'm Videl. Nice to meet you too," she responded, purposely leaving off her last name, and shook his hand.

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"Videl! We have a hit on a drug cartel. They have two hostages. They're stationed in an abandoned warehouse in South Satan City, We're sending you the coordinates. Infiltrate the building and take them down," a male voice came through Videl's watch. She was on her way home from school when the call came in.

"On it chief!" Videl responded into the communicator and redirected her jetcopter in the direction specified.

As she exited her vehicle, she surveyed the building. It was in shambles. The paint on the walls chipped badly and what little yard it had was overgrown with weeds. She battled her way through the thorns, watching carefully for any signs of life. There were none. She crept through a side door, making sure it did not make a sound. Suddenly something jumped onto her head. She held back a scream realizing it was a raccoon. She grabbed the creature and tossed it away, thankful it landed silently.

She made her way into the dark building, dodging the barely seen security cameras as she explored the labyrinth. Eventually, she ended up in a room larger than all the others.

As soon as she stepped into the middle of the room, the light came on, temporarily blinding her. As she regained her eyesight, her stomach sunk to the floor when she realized there were ten men surrounding her and all except one were armed.

"Well, boys," the unarmed criminal said. He was a tall, bald, muscular man. "Look what we have here!" He sent her a gap toothed, lecherous grin. "I think we're going to have some fun with you," he said, caressing her chin.

They tied her down pointing their guns at her head as the head honcho unbuckled his pants.

Videl's eyes widened in fear realizing what was about to happen to her _No! This cannot be happening! I can't lose my virginity to them! Gold Fighter where the hell are you when I need you?_

Meanwhile, miles above the city, Gohan was on his way home. He was reflecting on Videl's apology a few minutes ago. He felt great that she had decided to change her mindset. He just knew both them would become good friends. He stopped short suddenly as he heard a voice that was clearly Videl's in his head,_ "_Gold Fighter where the hell are you when I need you?" He quickly felt for her chi and was horrified by what he discovered. Videl's ki was surrounded by ten others, all of which were weaker than hers but not by much. He could tell they were possibly armed, by her stationary body and panicked ki. Nothing was going to happen to her once he was around. He changed into the Gold Fighter and IT'd to her position. There was no time for flying.

The criminals by now had removed Videl's shirt and pants and all had their pants and underwear down, creeping towards the frightened girl. Suddenly the Golden Fighter appeared in front of the girl and before either of them could react, a golden blade of light appeared from his hand, castrating them all in no time. The blinding pain of their emasculation was too much for the crooks and they collapsed on the spot.

The Golden Fighter untied the dark haired girl and took off his shirt so she could cover herself up.

"Thank you," Videl whispered. She would be forever indebted to this man.

"Don't thank me. I should have been here earlier," he replied, not meeting her eyes.

"It's not your fault! How were you to know where I was? How did you even get here?" the girl questioned.

"Let's just say I can sense when a friend is in danger," the young man replied, extending a hand to help her up. She took it gratefully, knowing he wasn't going to say anything more.

"They had hostages," Videl spoke up, frightened as an explosion emanated from somewhere in the building. The rotting wood quickly caught fire and it was spreading rather quickly as if the building had been coated with gasoline.

"Hold on," Gold Fighter said, sitting down and taking a meditative position. He knew they didn't have much time.

Videl looked at him strangely as he sat down. This wasn't the time to take a break. The building was burning down for Kami's sake. Just as she was about to scream at him his eyes opened and he stood up. "They're one floor down in a utility closet," he responded.

"How the hell do you know that?" Videl asked, skeptically.

"Like I said, I can sense when people are in danger," Gold Fighter replied easily, leading the way.

They quickly made their way down to the bottom floor, arriving at the closet a minute later. They opened the door to find a middle aged man with blonde hair and an equally blonde woman who was bawling hysterically. They both had bombs strapped to their chests.

"Shit," Gohan cursed under his breath. They had only a minute before the bombs exploded.

Videl moved to unbuckle the two hostages but stopped in her tracks when the woman screamed, "No! He-he said it will explode if you touch it!"

"Ok," the Gold Fighter said seriously, thinking fast. "I'm going to try something. It may seem kind of crazy but I need you guys to trust me." By now, the timer was down to 25 seconds and seeing no other way the others conceded. "First I need you all to be touching me. Videl I need you to unbuckle his bomb while I do hers. Tell me the second you're done. There is usually a two second interval before the bomb will explode so I'll get you out of here in time."

The others looked at him with wide fear-filled eyes. The timer was now down to 10 seconds. "On my mark," the Gold Fighter said, looking Videl in the eye. "Go!"

"Done!" Videl said a second later.

Instantly they were transported in front of Satan City Police Department. The Gold Fighter looked at his passengers and found them all with their eyes shut tightly. The man let go first, catching his wife as she collapsed, the stress becoming too much for her. He picked her up and, at the Gold Fighter's nod, made his way into the building, repeatedly stating his thanks. Videl opened one eye and, realizing they were safe, let go of the Gold Fighter's arm. He reached to steady her as she wobbled on her feet.

"The jump can be pretty disorienting for those that aren't used to it," Gold Fighter offered with a smile.

Videl looked up at him and nodded. '_He has a really nice smile_,' she thought with a blush.

"Your life force is strong here since you spend a lot of time in this location," the Gold Fighter responded as if he heard her question. "I could have chosen your room, but that would be inappropriate."

Videl nodded before her eyes widened in realization. "Is this sense of yours the how you find me when I'm fighting crime?" she asked.

The Gold Fighter nodded.

"Why do you do it?" Videl whispered, feeling ashamed. "I mean I've been completely ungrateful to you and tonight… I really thought that was it. I really thought they were going to hurt me and I couldn't do a thing to save myself much less the other two people! Why do I have to be so weak?" By now Videl had descended into a near hysterical state, tears streaming down her face as the gravity of the situation hit her. He launched herself at the Gold Fighter's chest, sobbing into his bare chest.

The Gold Fighter was surprised for a second but wrapped his arms around her, stroking her long hair as he whispered comforting words into her ear. He felt sorry for her and wished he had come earlier so she wouldn't have to go through this. "Videl," he whispered, tilting her chin so she stared into his teal eyes. "You are one of the strongest persons I know. You are _not_ weak."

"So why aren't I as strong as you?" she whispered back, tears still brimming in her cerulean eyes.

"My strength is genetically determined," the Gold Fighter responded simply. "Now let's get you inside."

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Let me know what you think!


	7. The Trip Begins

Hey Everyone! I'm back again! I'm so glad you guys like the rewrite. I really worked hard on it this time.

SeanHicks4: Honestly, the thought never crossed my mind to end this one and start a new one. I feel like a total idiot.

I do not own DBZ...

_Last Time..._

_"Videl," he whispered, tilting her chin so she stared into his teal eyes. "You are one of the strongest persons I know. You are not weak."_

_"So why aren't I as strong as you?" she whispered back, tears still brimming in her cerulean eyes._

_"My strength is genetically determined," the Gold Fighter responded simply. "Now let's get you inside."_

* * *

The Trip Begins..._  
_

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At 5:30 the next morning, Gohan, Videl and Lime were jolted out of their sleep as the demon twins, a.k.a Goten and Trunks dumped a bucket of ice-cold water on them. Lime and Mirai had spent the night at the Son residence yelling at Gohan for roping them into the trip. Gohan, on the other hand was worried about Videl, although he knew he could never display that worry. She had decided not to report the attempted rape to the police so she'd know that he was the Gold Fighter if he said anything. Eventually they'd all fallen asleep in the den from exhaustion.

Not even having the strength to attempt to kill the two brats, they made their way to the bathroom, neither of them looking forward to the next two weeks. On auto-pilot, they got ready, and after saying a quick goodbye to Chi Chi and Goku, flew off to school.

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At approximately 6:56, they walked sullenly up to the bus, yawning widely. They muttered a quick 'Good morning' to the teacher before climbing onto the bus, grabbing the first seat they saw. Suddenly, a loud shriek woke them up, "You're going to meet Bulma Briefs dressed like that?"

They looked up in shock to see Erasa pointing at them in astonishment, dressed in a pink satin dress and white stilettos. The rest of the class was also dressed as if they were going to a gala ball. Even the teachers who were on the other bus were dressed up.

"Why would we dress up?" Gohan responded, rolling his eyes at their clothing choices. "We are going into the mountains on a survival trip, not the Oscars."

"Gohan!" the teacher said. "We are going to meet the most influential woman in the world. You could at least show some respect!"

They just shrugged.

"Look! I don't know who you three think you are but you are not about to embarrass this class!" she continued. "Here's some money. Go buy yourselves something appropriate!"

Mirai stared at her. "You're just making idiots of yourselves. Do remember Bulma Briefs is my mother. I think I should know what the required attire would be."

"I don't care who your mother is! If you're not going to change, then get off the bus!" the teacher screamed at them, thinking she'd threatened them into missing the highlight of their lives.

The three looked at each other and smiled. "Works for us!" they chirped to her shock, turning to leave.

Just as they were about to step off the bus, they came face to face with wrath himself. "Just where do you brats think you're going?" his raspy voice could not be mistaken. It was Vegeta.

The class gasped. This was Vegeta, the husband of Bulma Briefs who was rumored to be an axe murderer. He was the reason why the paparazzi stopped storming Capsule Corp. He was the reason why City Pizza always had a vacant delivery boy position and he was going to kill their three classmates.

"Dad!" Mirai said, nervously laughing. "What are you doing here?"

You could practically hear a record scratch as the class heard this statement. This was Mirai's father?

"Your mother sent me to make sure you brats weren't trying to escape," Vegeta said.

"Escape?" Lime chuckled apprehensively. "Why would we ever want to do that?"

"Then what, might I ask, _were _you doing?" Vegeta said smirking down at Lime. He was proud that he was at least taller than her.

"Um," Gohan said. "Just getting some fresh air, right guys?"

The others nodded furiously. Vegeta growled and pinched his nose at their pathetic excuses. "You brats get your asses in your seats immediately before I blast you to HFIL and back." The three sighed and slowly made their way back to their seats, looking dejected as Vegeta turned to leave.

As Vegeta reached the steps of the bus, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned slightly to see a glaring Videl but unfortunately her best glare had about the same effect on him as her biggest grin.

"Brat, go and take your seat! If you wanted to use the bathroom, you should have gone before you got on the bus!" Vegeta said.

"Wha-?" Videl said, flabbergasted. "I don't want to use the bathroom!"

"Then why the _hell_ are you touching me?" Vegeta said giving his best death glare which made Videl shake in fear.

"Um, I'm putting you under arrest," she said but her voice came out weak and almost questioning.

"Oh! Are you?" Vegeta asked with interest, dropping his glare. "And what, pray tell, are my charges?"

"For one, being an axe wielding murderer, kidnapping reporters," she would have continued if it weren't for the harsh laughter coming from the short man in front of her.

"Axe wielding? Is that so?" Vegeta said mockingly. "Brat I don't even own an axe! Get your hands off me before I get my very expensive lawyer and sue you for every penny your fake-ass father is worth. Now _sit_!" he continued his voice once again serious, glare returning to his face.

Videl dropped hard to the floor in front of him, almost ruining the deep blue formal dress she was wearing.

"In your seat, brat!" Vegeta said tiredly. "Man these humans are so stupid," he mumbled under his breath and left the bus as Videl ran to her seat.

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Meanwhile Gohan, Mirai and Lime were laughing their asses off in their seats, to the shock of their classmates. They nearly died and they thought this was funny?

"Damn!" Gohan said in Saiyago as the laughter died down. "We almost got away. I swear they always have a backup plan!"

Right then, he felt a tap on his shoulder. "What?" he asked frustration, turning around to see none other than a bewildered Videl. _I think she just got past the shock stage and is moving to the nosy stage now!_

"What did he mean by my fake-ass father?" she asked calmly, threatening to burst with more questions.

"I don't know. Why don't you go ask him?" Gohan responded, still yawning.

Videl just huffed, realizing he was right. However, she made no move to go after the short man. She didn't want to admit it, but she was terrified of him. Instead she changed the subject, "Why are you two here?" she asked, directing her question at Lime and Mirai.

The two glared at Gohan once more before Mirai responded. "Well, it was only supposed to be you guys before Gohan showed an entire CapsulePoint presentation to our parents as to the 'educational and moral benefits' we will receive by going on this trip."

Videl, Sharpner and Erasa looked at each other and laughed. "Wow!" Erasa giggled. "Looks like you _can_ be devious huh?"

Gohan just blushed at her flirtatiousness refusing to say a word.

"By the way, I just realized I don't know your names," Lime observed.

"Mirai, Lime," Gohan responded. "These are my friends: Sharpner, Erasa and Videl."

"Hey! Isn't that the same girl who tried to follow you to my house last week?" Mirai commented causing Videl to blush in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she said meekly.

"No worries. All is forgiven. She's a friend now," Gohan replied.

"Aah! So you guys kissed and made up then!" Lime teased, laughing as the two dark-haired friends blushed hotly.

"There was no kissing involved!" Gohan yelled at them causing everyone in the bus to stop their 200th verse of "99 bottles of beer on the wall" and look at him. Gohan blushed and chuckled nervously as the class resumed with their song. He shot a glare at his two so-called best friends before leaning his head on the window and putting in the earpieces to his cPod.

The other members of the group chatted among themselves as Gohan blocked them out, none of them looking forward to the long trip ahead.

888

Five hours later, the bus finally stopped at the dead end of the dirt road they had turned on to three hours before.

All around them were trees, trees and more trees. There was not a building in sight. All the students piled out of the buses, forming a large semi-circle around Miss Wheeler.

"Listen up everybody!" she said excitedly, clutching her black V-neck sheath dress. "Mrs. Briefs should be here any moment so please be on your best behavior!"

"Yes Miss Wheeler," the class chimed, eagerly looking forward to meeting this prominent member of society.

Not a moment too soon, Bulma rode in on her hover bike, dressed in jean shorts, and a pink t-shirt, bearing the Capsule Corp logo. A pink and white visor held her short hair back and pink and white sneakers covered her feet. The class stared at her in suspicion. _This _was how the CEO of Capsule Corp dressed?

Sharpner, however, didn't care. All he knew was that the tight shirt accentuated her curves and those shorts revealed miles and miles of soft pale skin. It was only natural that such a beautiful woman would want a beautiful man such as himself. So he put on his sexiest smirk, whipped off his tuxedo jacket and slung it over his shoulder as he sauntered over to her. "Hey beautiful," he said in the most sophisticated tone he could muster. "How about you ditch your little pipsqueak of a husband and hang out with a real man?"

He barely got to finish his sentence before he found himself flying through the air briefly before landing on a porcupine a few feet away. Also there was a terrible pain in his stomach. Sharpner squeezed his eyes shut and wracked his brain, trying to figure out what had just happened over the blinding pain when he felt more pain course through his body, this time coming from his head. He laboriously opened one eye only to find a glaring Vegeta inches away from his face. At that point, Sharpner promptly soiled his pants. _Note to self, "Never hit on Bulma Briefs!"_

"And you have the nerve to call yourself a real man when you obviously still haven't been toilet trained" Vegeta mocked in disgust, dropping the wounded, humiliated boy at his feet. He turned to the crowd. "For those of you who haven't figured it out as yet, this woman belongs to me," Vegeta addressed the students before kissing his wife. "If I catch any of you trying anything like Blondie over there, there will be hell to pay! Understand?"

The students nodded hurriedly as Vegeta walked off.

"You ok, Sharpner?" Gohan asked, helping up his fallen friend. "I probably should have told you to leave Bulma alone. Vegeta never lets her out of his sight!"

"Thanks, man," Sharpner said blushing in embarrassment.

"Serves you right, Sharpner!" Erasa said. "She's _waay_ out of your league not to mention, married!"

Sharpner just shot her a fake smile.

"Ahem. Anyway, hello everybody!" Bulma greeted. "As you know, I am Bulma Briefs and…" She stopped as she analyzed the students' attire. "I really hope you guys have a change of clothes because you are _not _getting up the mountain dressed like _that_!" Gohan, Mirai and Lime just smirked at the students' misfortune. After all, they did try to warn them!

The students and teacher suddenly felt a little foolish. "Not to worry though! You guys can all get changed in my friend's summer house. We'll be staying there this week for training then we'll take you guys into the mountains early in the morning next Friday. Follow me," she offered, feeling the embarrassment oozing off the students' faces. She then walked off into the bushes as the teenagers trailed after her.

Gohan groaned, knowing Bulma was talking about his family's summer palace. _Well it looks like everyone is going to know that geeky Son Gohan is heir to the throne of the Ox Kingdom. Well I hope that's all they'll ever find out about me. _He desperately hoped there were no pictures up of him in Super Saiyan form or with his tail.

888

Five minutes and many, many broken heels later, they walked into a clearing beyond a few more trees, revealing a five-story mansion. The class gawked at the palace before them. Now _this _was the life! They wouldn't mind surviving here for a minute!

Videl, Sharpner and Erasa stared at the beautiful building in front of them. It still wasn't as large as Videl's house but its architecture put Hercule's mansion to shame. The walls were made of whitewashed stone. The driveway was made of golden bricks and encircled a peaceful water fountain bearing the crest of the Ox Kingdom. Beautifully trimmed trees, hedges, shrubs and flowers decorated the surrounding land with happy servants milling about.

"We have many bathrooms and bedrooms which we will assign you to later. The home theater and gym are on the second floor. In addition, there is a swimming pool and bar in the back and the hot tubs and spa are on the 5th floor. Just ask the servants for directions. For now, who's hungry?" she said, chuckling at the eager looks on the students' faces.

"Come along with me," she said walking into the massive structure.

* * *

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	8. To Gohan's House We Go

Back again with the next Chapter and I still don't own DBZ.

_Last time..._

_"We have many bathrooms and bedrooms which we will assign you to later. The home theater and gym are on the second floor. In addition, there is a swimming pool and bar in the back and the hot tubs and spa are on the 5th floor. Just ask the servants for directions. For now, who's hungry?" she said, chuckling at the eager looks on the student's faces._

_"Come along with me," she said walking into the massive structure._

* * *

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The class entered the foyer, observing the beautiful interior architecture. The room was spacious, huge floor-to-ceiling windows let in the sunlight. Two grand staircases wound their way around marble pillars coming to rest a few feet away from the students. Stunning artwork was tastefully placed on the walls, giving a stark contrast between classical and modern.

One particular photograph in the far corner of the foyer caught our favorite blonde's eye. "Omg! Is that Gohan?" Erasa exclaimed. Glancing at the painting, Gohan immediately blushed. He knew this was a bad idea. The students clamored to see the portrait for themselves, wondering why a picture of Gohan would be on the wall of one of Bulma Briefs' famous friends. Upon viewing the picture, the class stared in astonishment. The backdrop consisted of a night time view of a jungle-like forest with a clear lake reflecting the full moon. In the center, Gohan was nude with a small hedge covering his lower half. His face was a seductive smirk, making the girls, even Videl swoon. His hair was tied back in a long spiky ponytail, the style he wore prior to cutting his hair for school, adding to the effect of the picture.

_Oh my gosh! He's totally sexy! That's what he looks like with longer hair? Now I know what that girl in the mall was talking about! _Videl thought, her eyes trailing from his face to his well-defined pectorals biceps and triceps. Her gaze then went lower to his _eight_ pack and followed the narrowing of his hips only to find the bush in her way. At that moment, Videl hated that bush. _Wait what am I thinking? I actually wanted to see his... _She shook her head. She was not about to go there.

The girls then turned their eyes toward Gohan, looking hungrily at his body. Unfortunately it seemed that he didn't share gym with any other girl in this class but Videl and Erasa so none of them had seen his little display on his first day. He suddenly felt even more self-conscious and stepped behind Mirai for protection, only to have Erasa pinch him on the butt.

"Erasa!" he yelped, only to have the blonde wink at him.

"Yes, as a matter of fact it is Gohan," Bulma replied, laughing at the Son boy's misfortune. "After all it _is_ his house."

The students' minds went numb…well maybe more numb. This was just too much for their little brains to process. So not only did Gohan have a body to die for, he was also filthy rich? Did this boy not know he was messing with the delicate balance of nature! Sure he can be geeky and rich or hot and rich but **_not_** geeky, hot **_and_** rich!

"Do you know who the photographer is?" a red headed art enthusiast questioned.

"As a matter of fact I do! And so do you!" Bulma said tenderly extending a hand toward to the crowd. "Lime, why don't you come here and take a bow?"

Goku, Chi Chi and the Ox King were extremely proud of her accomplishments practically turned walls of the summer palace into an exhibition of her work. The other members of the Z gang also had some of her pieces displayed in their houses.

"Aw! Bulma," Lime whined. "Do I have to?"

"Niichan!" a cheer came, cutting off Bulma's reply as two blurs whizzed by the class; one orange, the other blue. The students turned around wondering what went by, to see Gohan and Mirai holding miniature versions of themselves in their arms. The children looked no older than seven or eight.

"Oh!" Gohan's mini-me said, looking down at Lime as he and Trunks climbed up onto their brothers' shoulders. "Hi Lime! Didn't see you down there!" Lime growled at the little boy. She hated it when people made fun of her height.

"Hey squirts!" Mirai said. "What are you two doing here?"

"Well, we begged mom over and over again until she finally let us come," Trunks explained, immediately setting off warning bells for the three teens. They were never going to be able to hide their powers with those two present!

"But we have to go home when our dads come to pick us up," Goten finished with a pout to their relief.

Sharpner, who was standing next to Gohan looked at the little boy on his classmate's shoulders and was surprised to see the definition in his arms. Looking over at Mirai, he found that his brother also was well cut. _Is everybody Brains knows on steroids?_

"Ahem," Bulma cleared her throat drawing the class' attention back to her. "I see you've met my other son, Trunks and my godson, Goten. They promised they'll _behave themselves_ for us today," she continued, looking pointedly at the cute little boys who just blinked innocently back.

"Mom," Trunks whined. "We're hungry."

"Well, we were just about to go to the kitchen for some food," Bulma said.

"Then what are you waiting for? We're starving!" Goten said, kicking Gohan's shoulders as if he were kicking a horse into gear.

"Alright squirt. Let's go!" Gohan said heading down the hall as the rest of the group dumbly followed him.

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The kitchen was definitely one fit for a Saiyan. It contained countless refrigerators, stoves and a seemingly endless countertop. At least 20 chefs worked tirelessly at the stoves. The large island in the middle of the room was laid out with foods of all kinds, making the hungry students' mouths water. There was more than enough food there to feed an army or three.

As Gohan entered the room, he signaled for Goten to be quiet as he snuck behind one of the chefs; a fairly round, short, gray haired woman with rosy cheeks. He then suddenly hugged her from behind, nearly making the poor woman drop her pot in surprise.

"Your Majesty!" she yelped. "You made my heart jump into my throat!"

The class walked into the door as she made this statement. The other chefs in the room dropped what they were holding and bowed before him with their right fist over their hearts. "Good Afternoon, your Majesty!" they greeted. The students' jaws dropped. Your Majesty? Gohan was royalty?

"Come on everyone. Get up," Gohan chastised. "How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Gohan."

"But Your- I mean Gohan," the chef replied, seeing Gohan's disapproving look. "You're our superior. We have to address you with respect. Those are our orders."

"Well, Miss Carol, I'm ordering you not to, then. Call me Gohan," Gohan commanded. "If anyone objects, Goten here will deal with them!" he continued tickling the little boy on his shoulders causing him to giggle.

Turning back to the class, Gohan sweat dropped as he saw the entire class minus Videl, Sharpner, Erasa, Lime and Mirai on their knees in front of him. Some of the jocks, who mercilessly teased him before he had started playing football for OSH, crawled over to him, kissing his shoes and begging forgiveness.

"Gohan?" Videl said, looking slightly upset. "Why didn't you tell us you were a prince?"

"Exhibit A," Gohan said gesturing to the class, lying prostrate on the ground and he tried to shake the jocks of his feet without sending them flying a few hundred feet. "I hate the attention."

"Ok, everyone," Bulma said, trying to take the attention off Gohan as he looked so uncomfortable. "Well, I guess Gohan never told you he was the Prince of the Ox Kingdom either. That boy is almost painfully modest at times."

Videl thought back to the photo she saw earlier. _Of course, modesty is obviously his forte. _She now understood Gohan and why he never cared about status. _I mean he is the heir to a whole kingdom. _

"Ok, everyone, grab a plate and dig in!" Bulma said. "Except you four," she added looking pointedly at the four demi Saiyans. At Bulma's announcement, the students scrambled for the china plates and filled their plate while the four boys looked as if Bulma had ripped out their hearts and stomped on them. However, even after they had each eaten their fill, the 30 visitors barely made a dent in the lavish meal before them.

"Ok, boys, you can eat now," she finally conceded.

The boys suddenly disappeared along with the food, reappearing at the table with 30 plates each stacked almost as high as the ceiling. The students stared in astonishment as the boys ate with a remarkable similarity to starving wolves. They watched as they stole each other's food and the death glares and growls thrown at the offenders. The teenagers were now witnessing a human version of the territorial animal feeding their biology teacher had shown them a week before and they found it even more amazing seeing it up close.

In less than ten minutes, the boys were finished. They leaned back in their chairs, patting their stomachs fondly.

"Ok, now that the bottomless pits are satisfied for now," Bulma said. "Everyone, gather around."

The students readily did as they were told, not wanting to disappoint the blue-haired genius. "Alright," Miss Wheeler said. "For one, I will not be coming with you." The students inwardly cheered although they put on fake sad looks.

"That's so sad Miss Wheeler," a brunette said.

"Yes I know! I will be hanging out here instead for the entire two weeks while you guys get to explore the wild!" Miss Wheeler replied, smugly, instantly putting scowls on the students' faces.

"Ok anyway we will group you into pairs; one girl with one boy. You will stick with your partner for the rest of the trip," Bulma said to the eager whoops of the hormonal teenage boys. "Believe me, when the wilderness is done with you, you won't even be thinking about it," she added smirking at the boys. "The reason why we're doing this way is so that each group will have a boy to do the heavy lifting while the girl will make sure the team survives."

"I have grouped you with the person I believe you'll work the best with so I'll start naming the groups now," Miss Wheeler said to the students' disappointment. They all knew that teachers had no idea who worked best as a team and probably just picked the names out of a hat. "First we have Tony and Amy, then Brittany and Todd…" she continued down the list, with the remaining students hoping they would be paired with someone they could at least tolerate. "Sharpner and Erasa, then Mirai and Lime and last but not least, Gohan and Videl," she finished, putting her list away.

Erasa face palmed. She was stuck with the biggest, sissiest lug ever! Obviously the teacher had no idea that Sharpner was terrified of anything that crawled and she was going to have to deal with his girlish screams for two whole weeks!

Sharpner scowled for a second. He was hoping he would be paired with Videl. That way he didn't have to do all the work. Plus, there was a chance he'd get to see her naked. Then again, Erasa was pretty hot as well and he knew she didn't have the aversion to bugs that he did. Maybe it would all work out for the best.

Gohan stared in bewilderment. Out of all the students, he just so happened to be paired with the one bent on discovering his secrets. He knew that just because they had agreed to be friends didn't mean she had given up; she just wasn't going to be so mean about it.

Meanwhile, Videl was ecstatic. She got to spend some quality time with her new friend not to mention discovering his secrets. He still hadn't told her how he knew Bulma Briefs or how he could eat so much. And how his brother had so much muscle and could eat more than he could.

Mirai and Lime hi-fived each other. This was going to be a great two weeks. They didn't get paired with anyone annoying and they wouldn't have to hide their powers.

"Ok, so you guys can do whatever you want for the rest of the day," Bulma said. "Your instructors won't be here till later tonight."

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The students split into their regular cliques, some happy with their partners while others were less than thrilled.

"You guys want to go watch a movie?" Gohan suggested after everyone had changed their clothes. It turned out their rooms where pretty close to each other.

"Sure!" Erasa piped up. "Lead the way!"

After walking in silence for a while, Sharpner posed a question, "So, Brains, why didn't you tell us you were loaded?"

Gohan shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure you guys were real friends and you weren't just after me for my family's wealth or power," he replied. "I wanted to be sure I could trust you."

"So, do you know whether you can trust us now?" Erasa asked, apprehensively.

"Yeah, I'm sure I can. I was skeptical about Videl for a while, especially after she took up stalking me as a hobby. But I think I can trust her too." Gohan replied, to Videl's relief. She still felt pretty bad about her attitude towards him.

As they walked through the doorway, they froze in shock. There on the couch, lay Goku and Chi Chi who were both half-dressed and engaged in a steamy make out session.

"Mom! Dad! **Really**?" Gohan shouted absolutely mortified, causing the couple to break apart.

"Oh hey Gohan!" Goku greeted with a smile, tossing his shirt at Chi Chi, who was only in her underwear. "I didn't expect you guys to be here so soon! Who are your friends?"

Gohan just rolled his eyes at his father's easy dismissal of the embarrassing situation. At least his mom had the decency to blush. "These are my friends from school; Sharpner, Erasa and Videl," he said pointing at each of them in turn. "Guys, these are my parents, Goku and Chi Chi Son."

"Oh my gosh. I can't believe I'm standing in the same room with Goku and Chi Chi Son. After your performance at the World Martial Arts Tournament, you guys are like my heroes!" Videl gushed, tripping over her words.

"Oh, you're making me blush!" Chi Chi commented, feeling flattered. "That was ages ago! It's pleasure to meet you all. Now which one of you lovely young ladies is my son's girlfriend?"

"Mom!" Gohan groaned. "Must you _insist_ on embarrassing me?"

"You watch your mouth, young man!" Chi Chi scolded, giving him a mighty blow on the head with the Frying Pan of Doom ™. "Now did you guys have dinner already?" she asked with a sweet smile. Videl, Sharpner and Erasa looked on with a large sweatdrop on the back of their heads. How did this woman switch emotions at the drop of a hat? They looked around and saw everyone else in the room seemed unaffected, as if this was normal!

"Anyway, we're going to give you guys the room. Don't be watching any porn now!" Goku teased as he and his wife left the room.

"We already got our daily dose from you guys," Gohan muttered squeezing the bridge of his nose. Turning to his friends he remarked, "And that's why I never bring anyone over."

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They decided to have a movie marathon, each picking a movie to watch. It was about 2 am by the time the credits to the last movie rolled on and by then, they were all asleep. Videl had fallen asleep on Gohan's shoulder. Erasa snuggled up against Sharpner on the floor. Mirai's big toe somehow ended up in Sharpner's mouth while Lime slept in between the two boys.

Gohan opened his eyes, but closed them immediately as the lights came on. He looked back and noticed Bulma snapping pictures of the sleeping teenagers. Feeling a weight on his shoulder, he looked over to find Videl curled up into his torso. He smiled slightly at the angelic look on her face. "What time is it?" Gohan asked groggily, careful not disturb Videl.

"Way past curfew," Bulma answered, mock-angrily. "It's time for you guys to go to bed."

Gohan kicked Sharpner lightly in the side, trying to wake him up. Unfortunately, the disturbance caused him to chomp down on Mirai's toe. The time traveller let out a scream, effectively waking the other teenagers in the room. Gohan and Bulma just laughed as Sharpner tried to wipe is mouth clean with his shirt while Mirai hopped around on one foot, nursing his sore toe.

* * *

Let me know what you think!


	9. Training Day One

Hey everyone! I'm back again with another chapter. I know it's rather short but bear with me. I have 2 essays and a project to do by Monday.

Once again, I do NOT own DBZ.

_Last time..._

_"Time to go to bed, kids," Bulma said, ushering the tired teenagers to their rooms. "You have a long day ahead of you."_

* * *

**Training Day One**_  
_

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At 4:00 the next morning, someone blasted the Reveille at full blast over the PA systems installed in the students' rooms for this event. All the teens fell out of their beds at awkward angles, each wondering where the fire was.

"Everyone report to the gym. You have 10 minutes," Bulma greeted the teens over the intercom.

Groggily, the students made their way over to the gymnasium where they saw Bulma standing next to a short man with black hair and a tall man with a scar on his face. Needless to say, the martial arts enthusiasts recognized them both and they all recognized at least one of them.

"Take a seat, everyone," Bulma stated, gesturing to the floor. All the students plopped down and listened attentively. "I'd like to introduce you to your trainers for this camp, Krillen and Yamcha. I'm sure you all recognize Yamcha as a baseball player but he is a rather good martial artist as well. Krillen has made it to the semi-finals in the WMAT. I'll let you guys take over now."

Krillen and Yamcha smiled in greeting at the students. "Good morning, everyone," Krillen said. "How about you all introduce yourselves?" The students complied, each saying their name.

"Well, we obviously cannot let you guys go out into the wilderness without some survival training," Yamcha began. "We are going to teach you guys the basics of martial arts this week so that you will be able to defend yourselves if needs be."

"Well you can count us out!" a pompous jock retorted. "Me and my buddies have trained under the Champ!"

Krillen rolled his eyes, unimpressed. Referring to Hercule's show of attitude before the Cell Games he said, "I'm afraid smashing nine out of ten blocks isn't going to help you out there. You're going to need to be able to do them all."

The jocks and Videl expressed their displeasure at the subtle thrashing of their hero. However, their complaints were ignored. Well, if they weren't going to listen to them, they had to prove they were superior. They were sure whatever little training routine they had planned would be walk over.

"Anyway, how many of you have had at least five years of martial arts training?" Yamcha asked. About ten jocks who were Hercule's students as well as Videl, Sharpner, Lime, Trunks and Gohan raised their hands. "Stand over there." The students shuffled over to the other side of the gym.

Turning to the students Yamcha had singled out, Krillen asked, "How many of you have had eight or more years of training?" Four jocks, Sharpner, Videl, Mirai and Gohan raised their hands. Videl smiled in pride. She always prided herself in beginning her martial arts training when she was only six years old. She was sure she started before anyone else there. "How many of you have had fourteen or more years of training?" Krillen asked again.

Videl was about to open her mouth to respond that that was impossible when Gohan asked, "Krillen, how old was I when I started again?"

Krillen smirked. "If my memory is correct, I believe you were four," the former monk responded, earning a jaw dropping stare from the rest of the students as Gohan alone raised his hand.

Videl felt faint. Gohan had been training in martial arts since he was four years old? That was insane! How could his parents allow that? How could he even understand what to do at that age? They were going to have a little talk about this.

"Alright, Gohan," Yamcha smirked. "Looks like you'll be helping us train the more advanced students. Go easy on them."

Gohan made a face. "Do I have to?" he whined like a petulant child.

Yamcha just ignored him. "All those with eight or more years of training go with Gohan. Those with five to seven years of training go with Krillen and all the newbies stay with me." Yamcha responded.

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Gohan sweatdropped as he watched the advanced students staring at him, waiting for instruction. "Um, ok. How about we start with a light warm up? Twenty laps around the gym, one hundred push-ups, fifty pull-ups, sounds good?" With that everyone except for Mirai stared at him in disbelief.

"You call that a light warm-up?" a random jock exclaimed. "That's a whole damn workout…for a week!"

Gohan blinked at him sweat dropping. _No wonder you're so weak_. Deciding to have a little fun, Gohan challenged with a smirk, "Well, for the pansies here I guess we can cut it down to three laps, ten ladies push-ups and five pull-ups."

"There are no pansies here, right Sharpner?" the jock replied, feeling insulted.

Sharpner only smirked. "Sure," he replied sarcastically. He had been training under Hercule since he was eight years old but only when Gohan started training him the week after he started school did he know what real training was like. He only looked that way but he wasn't stupid. He knew Gohan could give Hercule a run for his money any day. He wasn't going to be as star struck as to be blind to that fact. Gohan worked you to the bone but he had to say the results were phenomenal. He was now twice as fast as he was before and twice as strong. No one was able to defeat him in any of his matches so far. He knew these guys wouldn't last ten seconds with Gohan. It served them right for trash talking Gohan behind his back all the time.

"Alright then," Gohan piped up. "Let's go!"

The students made their way to the starting line and took off. Mirai and Gohan headed the pack with Sharpner and Videl not too far behind. By their fifth lap, the four began to lap the other jocks who had by now, run out of steam.

Turning to Mirai, Gohan asked, "Didn't the Almighty Champ teach them anything about endurance?"

Hearing his remark, Videl retorted, "It isn't my dad's fault they're muscle-bound idiots."

Gohan raised an eyebrow and began jogging backwards so he was facing her. "Actually, I think it is. The student is the product of the teacher, you know."

Videl frowned. "That's not true. My dad trained me and Sharpner and we're right behind you guys," she responded.

"Yet you obviously haven't trained under him in a long while and I've been training Sharpner myself during the past month." Gohan replied.

Videl would have crossed her arms over her chest if she wasn't still running. "You were training with him and you never told me?" she turned on Sharpner.

Sharpner shrugged. "Hey! Every time I asked you, you told me a true martial artist never reveals their secrets. So after seeing him hold his own against you the first day, I asked him and he says yes. We've been training every other day at my house after school."

Videl looked down, ashamed as she recalled the many times Sharpner had begged her to train him and she'd shot him down with her pompous attitude. Here was this guy he barely even knew and he was the one to help him and not his long-time friend. She could see the training was really paying off too. Sharpner was neck and neck with her and was barely even breaking a sweat, something that could have never happened before he met Gohan. "I'm sorry," Videl said.

"It's ok. It's nice to learn a new fighting style once in a while. Kami knows Gohan knows a ton of them," Sharpner responded shrugging it off.

"And how many do you know?" Videl asked Gohan.

Gohan just shrugged. "Maybe six or seven," he replied nonchalantly. "I never bothered counting."

Videl stopped in her tracks, her jaw dropping in shock. How was it possible for him to know so many styles at such a young age? This was crazy! Seeing she was falling behind, the dark haired girl picked up the pace finishing right behind Sharpner as they concluded their twentieth lap.

The four friends made their way over to an empty corner of the gym and began to do their push-ups. Once again, Videl's eyes widened in shock as she saw Gohan and Mirai doing their push-ups at an almost frantic speed, using only one hand! What was even worse was that Sharpner was keeping up with them although he was using both hands. Suddenly she felt inadequate. She had thought she had reached her pinnacle. She was the second strongest in the world and all she had to do now was defeat her father at the WMAT to become the strongest. This was definitely a wake-up call for her. Sharpner was at or slightly above her level and Gohan and Mirai seemed to be miles ahead of her. In order to keep up, she would need to do some extensive training as well.

So lost was she in her thoughts that she didn't realize the boys had already moved on to their pull-ups while she was only on her fiftieth push-up. By the end of the warm up, Videl was exhausted and hurting in places she never knew could hurt before. She was hunched over, breathing hard, her eyes closed in exhaustion. She strained an eye open and looked at the three boys who were getting a glass of water, talking and laughing like they hadn't completed that torture routine moments before. Looking back at the jocks, she felt a little better. They were strewn about the track course, passed out. The big talker was trying and failing miserably to make it to his knees.

"Videl," Gohan called. "Come and get some water! We have lots more to do!"

Videl sent him a glare. Was he on crack or something? This wasn't a training session this was a friggin boot camp! The only thing she wanted to do right now was sit under a nice cool fan in a comfortable bed and go to sleep. However, to keep up her image she complied.

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Two hours later, every single member on Gohan's team was passed out save for Mirai and Gohan himself. They were all on the floor, small groans of pain escaping their lips every once in a while. Krillen, Yamcha and the rest of the students looked on in shock. What did this boy do to them? Never were they so happy they weren't put on his team.

"Which part of go easy on them didn't you get?" Yamcha hissed at the Son boy.

Gohan just grinned and shrugged. "I offered them an easy alternative but they decided to take the hard way," he responded in a sing-song voice.

"And I bet that wasn't in a nice way was it?" Krillen responded. "Take them to their rooms, you two. I don't think they'll be doing much else for the day. When you're done you guys can go get some breakfast."

Mirai and Gohan consented, slinging a jock over each shoulder to the students' amazement, going upstairs to their rooms and tossing them on their respective beds. They left Sharpner and Videl for last.

Gohan held Videl bridal style while Mirai tossed Sharpner a bit more gently over his shoulder. While Mirai ventured off to Sharpner's room, Gohan smiled as Videl subconsciously held on to his shirt and snuggled deeper into his arms. He opened the door to their room and sat on the bed with her in his lap, to remove her shoes. He gently laid her on the bed and watched her sleep for a moment.

There was just something about this girl he couldn't explain. He admired her determination. Even though she was the brink of exhaustion, she kept on going and never once complained. He liked that spark in her, especially now she had begun to lose the attitude. Maybe they could become more than friends. He would just have to wait and see.

Blushing at his thoughts, he got up only to find Videl was still holding on to his shirt. He carefully extricated himself from her grip but not without disturbing a sleep a little. "Comfy…warm," she said groggily. "I'm…good fighter…too."

Gohan chuckled quietly at her babbling. "Yeah," he whispered. "I know you are."

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Review?


	10. Midnight Snack

Hey everyone! Just little chapter I whipped up while on the train.

I don't own DBZ

_Last time..._

_Blushing at his thoughts, he got up only to find Videl was still holding on to his shirt. He carefully extricated himself from her grip but not without disturbing a sleep a little. "Comfy…warm," she said groggily. "I'm…good fighter…too."_

_Gohan chuckled quietly at her babbling. "Yeah," he whispered. "I know you are."_

* * *

**Midnight Snack**_  
_

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'_Ugh, what happened?'_ Videl thought as she sat up, stretching her aching muscles. She opened her eyes, taking in the dark, unfamiliar room. For a moment she forgot where she was. Well, that was until she heard Gohan snoring softly in the bed next to her. Just then, her stomach growled angrily, reminding her of the reason she woke up at this ungodly hour. She looked at the alarm clock on the table between the two beds and was amazed when she saw the large, red numbers blinking back at her. It was 2:13 am. No wonder she was so hungry, she'd been sleeping for nearly twenty hours! Who would have known a workout could take so much out of you? Damn! Gohan was a slave driver!

She tried to lie down and force herself back to sleep for the two hours she knew they had left, but her growling stomach would not permit it. She guessed she could go get something to eat from the kitchen but: (a) it would be rude to just go into their refrigerator without asking and (b) she didn't remember where the kitchen was. Her only option would be to wake Gohan and ask him but she really didn't want to do that either. If she had been knocked out for so long, he must be really tired as well.

After five minutes, she realized her stomach was not willing to negotiate so she crept out of bed and stepped silently over to the Son boy. She reached her hand slowly out to touch his shoulder and barely held back a scream as Gohan's hand shot out and grabbed her hands, reversing their positions so she was trapped under him. She looked up at him in astonishment as his eyes focused and was even more surprised when he leapt five feet away from her when he realized what he had done.

"I'm so sorry, Videl," he apologized, walking back over to his bed to help her up. "It was a reflex action."

"It's ok," Videl said warily, taking his hand. He called that a reflex action? Scaring the life out of innocent teenage girls when they want food? Oh, right. That's what she wanted him for.

"So, what's up?" Gohan asked, taking a seat on his bed next to her.

Videl blushed in embarrassment. "Um, I'm a little hungry," she said. Right then her stomach let out a particularly loud growl, making her hold her stomach and blush even harder.

Gohan chuckled at her behavior. "Yeah. My kind of training takes a lot out of you. Let's go down to the kitchen and get you something to eat."

"You're going like that?" Videl said, blushing at his attire as she grabbed her robe.

Gohan looked down and realized he was in nothing but a pair of black boxers. Chuckling he grabbed a white T shirt and said, "Well I wouldn't want to give the ladies a show now, would I?"

Videl playfully hit him on the shoulder as he began flexing his muscles, very much like Sharpner used to. "Well, aren't we Mr. Conceited all of a sudden," she remarked. She laughed as Gohan pouted and put on the shirt before leading the way.

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After what seemed like forever, they finally entered the double doors of the kitchen. Gohan turned to her. "Well, here we are!" he remarked. "How about we whip up some pancakes?"

Videl looked at him skeptically.

Gohan looked back and retorted, "What? I _can_ cook you know!"

Videl seemed surprised. "Well, ok," she said hesitantly. "However, if there are any signs of death or diarrhea I'm blaming you!"

"Cute," Gohan responded, making a face. Clapping his hands he suggested. "Well, so that the blame doesn't fall squarely on my shoulders, how about we do it together?"

"You have a deal!" Videl said, giving him a mock salute.

"Alright, it's settled. How about you grab the flour from the pantry over there while I go get some eggs," Gohan suggested.

"Ok. How much should I bring?" Videl asked.

"Maybe two five-pound bags?" Gohan suggested.

Videl's eyes widened. How could they possibly eat that much food? She was hungry but not _that_ hungry!

Gohan just raised an eyebrow at her. "I want some food too…" he remarked dryly.

Videl turned and got the bag. He had a point.

Soon enough the pair had assembled all their ingredients and were now in the process of mixing them together. Videl was sifting the dry ingredients into a gigantic bowl, while Gohan was whisking the eighteen eggs required along with the milk and the other wet ingredients. As Videl was pouring the last bag of flour into the sifter, it slipped from her grasp, thankfully landing in the bowl but sending a cloud of the white powder into the air, mysteriously missing her completely but managed to coat the teen next to her.

Videl bit her lip and looked over at Gohan hesitantly. He was covered from head to toe in the white powder, tiny mountains of it accumulating on the very tips of his spiky hair. His left eye was currently twitching but the overall ridiculousness of his condition nullified the effect of the death glare he shot her way. Two seconds was all it took for her to collapse in a fit of laughter.

"Oh you think this is funny, huh?" Gohan growled before grabbing two eggs and cracking them together over her head.

Videl abruptly stopped laughing and sent the boy a death glare of her own. "Oh! It's on!" she challenged.

Needless to say they broke out into an all-out food war! In less than five minutes both the teens and the room they were in were coated in everything the kitchen had to offer. Gohan had managed to tackle Videl to the ground and was spraying some whipped cream into her face. The Satan girl shrieked in laughter underneath him.

"Do you give up?" Gohan asked, shaking the can to spray another round of the white spray at her.

"Never!" Videl responded defiantly.

While reaching back to grab this other can, Gohan accidentally brushed his hand against her ribs and was surprised when she let out a tiny giggle. Gohan raised his eyebrow and smirked at the girl beneath him. "Is Videl Satan…ticklish?" he asked conspiratorially.

Videl shook her head furiously but dissolved into giggles as he ran his hands along her ribcage with more purpose this time. Soon, Gohan had her laughing so hard she was gasping for air. Finally, she screamed, "I give up!"

Gohan did not let up whatsoever. "Is that all you got?" he asked cheekily.

"What else do you want?" Videl asked between fits of laughter.

Gohan tapped his chin in thought but continued to tickle her with his other hand. Looking down at her he smirked. "You have to say, I am the smartest and sexiest being to walk the planet!" he said triumphantly. What could he say? It was about time someone stroked his ego.

Videl looked at him in disbelief through her laughter, her face taking on a red hue. There was no way in hell she was going to say that… even if in her head that last part was true. "I am not saying that!" Videl retorted.

Gohan smirked even wider. "That's my one condition," he replied in a sing song voice before continuing his onslaught.

"Oh, come on, Gohan!" Videl begged. "I'll even become your servant for a day!"

Gohan seemed to consider it for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, I already have a bunch of those!" he said, renewing his attack.

Try as she might, Videl could not convince him to change his mind. Eventually she couldn't take it anymore. "Alright! Gohan you are the smartest and sexiest person on the planet!" she squealed between fits of laughter.

Gohan immediately stopped tickling her and smiled down at her. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked.

Videl looked up at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. "My pride is wounded," she shot back.

"And mine is excellent shape thanks to you!" Gohan replied with a grin.

Videl rolled her eyes and was about comment when her stomach let out another loud growl. They still had business to attend to.

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Twenty minutes later Gohan and Videl were sitting around a small round table with several high stacks of pancakes in front of them, decked out with strawberries, syrup and whipped cream. Well, one stack was in front of Videl while Gohan had the rest.

"Bon apetit!" Gohan said, before digging in.

Videl didn't even bother staring at him and his eating habits. She was too hungry to care plus she'd seen it before. However, several minutes later, as she was finishing her last pancake of four, she noticed Gohan had already gobbled down all forty of his and was reclining in his seat, patting his stomach fondly. Rolling her eyes, she commented, "I don't know what you're going to do when we get out into the wilderness. You're definitely not going to be able to eat _this _much!"

Gohan looked up at her and smiled like a kid in a candy store. "Of course I am," he said. "That's what hunting's for!"

Videl looked at him and immediately started giggling. Gohan had a perfectly round smudge of whipped cream on his nose with half a strawberry sticking out of it.

"What?" Gohan asked. "Is there something on my face?" He swiped at his face with a napkin, continuously missing his nose.

Eventually, Videl took pity on him and decided to help him. Grabbing the napkin from his hands, she cupped his face with one hand and gently wiped off his nose. "There," she whispered. "All clean." She looked up at him and smiled briefly before noticing how close they were to each other. She could even feel his ragged breath on her skin. Blushing, she found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss him. _No bad Videl! You barely know him! Plus you don't kiss boys! You beat them up!_

Her internal debate was cut short when Gohan cleared his throat and pulled away. "I-I'm going to go w-wash these dishes. Y-you go on back to bed," he stammered.

Videl nodded nervously. "Y-yeah, see you in the morning," she replied hurriedly then left the room. She made sure she knew where she was going this time.

As she left, Gohan stood frozen in the kitchen, a rosy blush on his cheeks. Her hands had felt so soft on his skin. He had never wanted her to stop. He touched his hand to his cheek, still feeling the lingering brush of her feminine skin. And her eyes…he'd known they were pretty from before, but seeing them up close like this made them absolutely breathtaking. He was even attracted to her scent… strawberries. They were definitely now his favorite fruit. Just the memory of their brief interaction a second ago turned him on. No. He couldn't afford to get carried away. Shaking his head to clear it, he frowned. _Before I even think of her in that way, I'll need to tell her about who, or should I say __**what**__, I am. I know I said I trusted her before but I don't think she's ready to know I'm an alien. I don't think __**I'm**__ ready for that either. She'd probably just call me a freak and run off or even worse, launch a police investigation, making my life a living hell. I know I'm probably paranoid but I just can't afford to take that risk yet. I'd better keep away from her as much as possible. I can't afford anything to slip._

With that final thought, Gohan loaded the dishes into the massive dishwasher and programmed the cleaning bots to clean up the mess they made, before heading for the gym. He definitely wasn't going to get anymore sleep tonight.

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Well, this should be interesting...

Review please?


	11. Training Day Two

Hey everyone! I'm back again. I want to say a special thank you to all the reviewers. Your support is inspiration enough for me to continue writing.

Anyway, as you all probably figured out by now I don't own DBZ.

_**Last Time...**  
_

**_I'd better keep away from her as much as possible. I can't afford anything to slip._**

**_With that final thought, Gohan loaded the dishes into the massive dishwasher and programmed the cleaning bots to clean up the mess they made, before heading for the gym. He definitely wasn't going to get anymore sleep tonight._**

* * *

_Training Day Two...  
_

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Videl had barely drifted off to sleep before the wake-up call she'd come to dread resonated through the room. Sighing in annoyance, the dark haired girl got up and looked over to the bed on the other side of the room only to find it unoccupied. She looked down at her hands and sighed again, this time in depression. She was finally getting Gohan to trust her, to open up to her. But then she just _had_ to be stupid and make things weird between them. She should not have invaded his personal space like that.

With another deep sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and grabbed the first set of workout clothes she saw. Running to the bathroom, just in case he decided to come in, Videl changed before going downstairs to the gym.

She took her seat with the other advanced students but to her surprise, neither Gohan nor Mirai were anywhere in sight. She sent an inquiring glance over at Sharpner who shrugged in response.

Suddenly a loud shriek reverberated from a room on the far side of the gym. They'd never been in it so they assumed it was some type of storage locker. However, as Bulma emerged screaming at a very bloody and bruised Gohan, supporting Mirai, who wasn't in a much better shape, it was safe to say they were wrong. Videl's heart stopped as she looked at the battered body of her classmate. What did they do to each other? Was this because of last night? She dreaded to think so. Her first instinct was to run to help him, but a sharp look from Lime convinced her otherwise.

"Dammit! You boys couldn't spend a damned week without beating each other to a pulp!" Bulma raved at the two teenagers, as they staggered behind her in obvious pain. "You guys never heard of _talking_ about your feelings! I swear you're just like your fathers! Like a bunch of Neanderthals! Just get in the regeneration tank and out of my sight!"

_So they do this stuff all the time? No wonder Gohan has so many scars on his body! This is dangerous!_ The dark haired girl looked on in mute shock.

As the trio left the room, Krillen spoke up, awaking the students from their daze. "Well everyone!" he said. "We're going to go on to the second phase of our training today."

The students looked at him, barely registering his words as they still reeled from the gruesome scene they had just witnessed. Videl raised her hand. "W-what happened to them?" she asked when Krillen acknowledged her.

Krillen smiled at her. "They were sparring," he answered simply.

"Sparring?" the girl asked dubiously. "They call that sparring? They could have killed each other! How could you stand by knowing they were doing this and not stop them!"

Yamcha scowled at the girl. Who was she to come in a dictate how they did things? "They have been training like this for years now. They know their limits," he supplied sharply.

The Satan girl glowered back. "Well obviously they don't," she responded with a superior air. "That type of fighting will only land you in the hospital or even worse, the morgue!"

"Look!" Krillen replied, obviously irritated. "There are fights that do not occur in the confines of a tournament ring. There are times where you have to fight to the death in order to survive. Their trainers made sure they were ready for that. In the real world and on the battlefield there are no rules!"

Videl still was not shaken. "Of course there are rules! What do you think the police are for?" she responded haughtily.

Yamcha stared the girl down before responding. "Not every city on the planet lives in the peace that Satan City does. If you live in a city torn apart by chaos with a gang destroying everything and everyone in sight, what do you do?"

The girl stared right back at him. "Knock them out and call the police!" she replied easily.

"There is no _police!" _Krillen responded with an impatient look. "This city runs by the rule, kill or be killed. A life doesn't matter because no one gets into trouble. Can you simply knock out a criminal army that is ten times stronger than you? Who's to say they won't kill you first?" Krillen responded.

She looked down at her hands, unable to answer. Could such a world exist? She never felt afraid when taking down the criminals she fought. She knew she was stronger than them and she knew she had the police and the Gold Fighter to back her up. But what if they didn't exist? Would Satan City have become this hell hole if her father hadn't saved them all from Cell? Now that she looked at it, it was definitely possible. She'd seen violent, angry mobs protesting a legislation passed by the government that they didn't like. If their very lives were in danger, who's to say how much worse their response would be?

Yamcha clapped his hands once. "Alright, if you have no more questions, let's get back to training!" he said. "I need you all in one group for now."

The students submitted, moving from their various parts of the gym towards the center. They looked up keenly at the martial arts masters, hoping today wouldn't be as bad as yesterday.

Krillen tossed a capsule over to the far corner of the gym, releasing a puff of smoke. Slowly, the fog dissipated to reveal several turtle shells, each about the size of a large back pack. There were three different colors, green, blue and orange. "From now on, we will be training under the Turtle style of martial arts. This type of training is going to increase both your strength and your speed. You will wear this turtle shell every day, _all day_. The only exceptions are when you are sleeping, showering or on your days off. Advanced students, you have the orange shells, intermediate students the blue shells and beginners, the green shells. Grab a shell and let's get to it."

Videl and Sharpner walked confidently over to the pile, grabbing an orange shell each. As they moved to pull them out of the heap, their eyes simultaneously widened. How the hell did they expect them to carry this on their backs all day? They had to weigh at least fifty pounds!

"Are you _trying_ to kill us?" Videl asked, breathing laboriously due to the heavy weight on her back.

Krillen smirked, glad to put the haughty girl in her place. "Don't be such a wuss! When we were training under Master Roshi, Goku and I had to carry one hundred pound turtle shells on our back for three months straight! And we were only around twelve years old!"

Videl's jaw dropped in bewilderment. How was that even possible? Anyway, she was no weakling! Anything they could do, she could do as well, if not better. Determined to prove her worth, she desisted from commenting further on the matter.

"Ok, now if you guys are done complaining, beginners, take a lap around the gym then perform the katas you learned yesterday. Intermediates, you go with Yamcha and he'll give you your instructions. As for the advanced students, since Gohan isn't here to instruct you, you will be helping the palace workers." Krillen said.

The advanced students looked at each other, feeling insulted. They were supposed to do _chores_ all day? How was that supposed to help them? It was ridiculous. However, fearing another tongue lashing from their instructors, they followed the servant who had come to get them out of the gym. He was a rather tall man in his mid-thirties with dark hair, olive skin and well developed muscles. He made no attempt to start a conversation, choosing instead to set his dark brown eyes ahead. As they stepped outside, he turned to face them. "You, and you," he said, pointing to Sharpner and Videl. "Go out in the forest and gather some wood. Usually, Prince Gohan and Goten do it but it seems the young master is in the infirmary. We need about five trees worth. Here's an axe for each of you."

"How are we supposed to carry it back?" Sharpner asked.

"On your backs," the man replied simply as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Krillen also requested you run the entire way."

The two friends grimaced at each other but ran off, the axe on their shoulders.

"The rest of you will be gathering water from the river to fill our 1000 gallon cistern," he said, handing each of them a beam with two buckets on the ends.

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Five hours later, all the teens were back in the gym, panting and gasping for air yet again. Well, at least they all were conscious this time.

"Alright guys, you go to the kitchen and get some lunch," Yamcha said.

Before the words were fully out of his mouth, the students dashed for the lunch room. Never were they so happy to hear the word 'lunch'.

Videl smiled. Maybe this is how Gohan feels when the bell rings for lunch. At the thought of him, Videl cringed, the memory of his battered body replaying through her mind like a broken record. She really hoped he was ok.

She didn't have to wonder long because as they stepped through the kitchen doors they saw Mirai and Gohan and gobbling down everything in sight. What was remarkable was that they didn't seem to have a scratch on them! How was that possible? Gathering her resolve, Videl strode over to the Saiyan boy. She was confused and when Videl was confused, she was angry.

Gohan groaned as he sensed her coming. There was a reason he didn't stick around for training today. Noticing the determined look in her eye, he just knew she had a million and one questions he wasn't ready to answer. Sighing, he pushed his plate away, got up and walked out of the room, away from her. Needless to say, Mirai gobbled down Gohan's leftovers in little to no time.

Videl stood, rooted to the spot in shock. Did he just walk away from her? The sinking feeling in her stomach from this morning returned with a vengeance. He _was _avoiding her. How was she supposed to fix this? Against everyone's expectations, she didn't follow him but calmly filled her plate and sat down to eat.

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About five minutes later, Videl felt a shadow over her. She looked up with a scowl which clearly stated that she didn't want to be bothered, only to find her best friend returning her glare. With a huff, the dark haired inclined her head slightly and the blonde girl sat down across from her.

Erasa looked at Videl expectantly for a long while before speaking up. "Ok, who are you and what did you do to my best friend?"

Videl looked up in confusion. "What are you talking about Erasa?" she asked.

"I'm talking about how you let Gohan walk away from you like that when I know you've been worried sick about him. The Videl Satan I know would have gone after him and demanded an explanation!" Erasa said, getting straight to the point.

Videl gave a half smile. That was exactly what she would have done if she hadn't been the cause of it. Now she just didn't know what to do. "I think it's my fault he did that," she confessed.

Erasa raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Why would you think that?" she asked in confusion.

Videl looked down at her half-eaten plate of food then said, "Just promise you won't tell anyone."

Erasa's eyes widened. What could have possibly happened between the two of them that her best friend would be so fidgety? She really hoped she wasn't pregnant or something. "Cross my heart," Erasa replied gently, using the phrase they'd employed since kindergarten.

"I kind of invaded his personal space," she confessed quietly.

"What do you mean by that? Did you walk in on him in the bathroom? Please don't tell me you were snooping through his stuff again," Erasa replied with a groan.

Videl shook her head. "No, nothing like that," she replied. "We were eating and then we were playing around and the next thing I knew our faces were _this _close!" Videl babbled, putting about a half inch space between her index fingers.

"Whoa, girl," Erasa said patiently. "Start from the beginning."

Videl exhaled sharply then related last night's events to her friend. "And now, he refuses to even look at me!" she finished, a depressed look on her face.

Erasa, put her hand on Videl's shoulder sympathetically but inside, she was ecstatic! Videl had had a romantic moment with Gohan and now the two of them had no idea how to deal with it! It was so adorable! They were moving much faster than she thought! She knew just how to get them back on the right track.

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Thanks for reading!


	12. Resolution

Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter. I want to say thanks again to all the reviewers for all your support.

I don't own DBZ.

**_Last time..._**

**_Erasa put her hand on Videl's shoulder sympathetically but inside, she was ecstatic! Videl had had a romantic moment with Gohan and now the two of them had no idea how to deal with it! It was so adorable! They were moving much faster than she thought! She knew just how to get them back on the right track._**

* * *

888

_Three days later…_

Gohan awoke at 3:30 a.m. as he'd been doing every day since that night in the kitchen. So far, his avoidance plan had been working. Over the past three days, he had not spent a single conscious moment alone with Videl. He woke up before her every morning and trained in the G.R. until it was time for the class training session to begin, making sure to eat a sensu bean to fill his stomach as well as heal his injuries. As soon as class was over, he made sure to stay in a group and when the others were nowhere to be found, he locked himself back in the G.R. and trained until well after she had fallen asleep. His methods were cowardly; even he would admit that, but effective nonetheless. Well, effective in the sense that he didn't have to see her and thus didn't have to own up to his feelings. However this method did nothing to curb the underlying reason for him distancing himself away from her. It didn't quite curb the growing affection he felt for the crime fighter. In fact, his feelings only seemed to grow stronger each day. It was pathetic really. He, who saved the world from the most vicious monster ever known at the age of eleven, was afraid to talk to a girl, simply because he was afraid of rejection.

However, unlike the other days, Gohan woke up with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was _very_ wrong. He'd noticed small signs such as Lime refusing to meet his gaze whenever he'd talk to her or the fact that Lime and Erasa would be talking animatedly and immediately shut up the moment they noticed him coming. When he asked Mirai and Sharpner what was going on, they honestly had no idea. Thus, he had come to the conclusion that the girls were planning something. He had no idea what, but he would bet his Saiyan heritage whatever it was, was going to unfold today.

Slipping his gi pants over the boxers he'd worn to sleep, Gohan moved to creep out of the room. However, as he walked past Videl's bed, his gaze caught her face and he froze in place. She seemed to be having a nightmare of sorts, her face contorting into a terrified expression. Small protestant murmurings escaped her lips. The last and only time he had ever seen that look on her face was when he'd saved her from those rapists. He wondered if she was reliving that experience. Immediately, the emotions she'd stirred up in him that night at the warehouse resurfaced. He felt pity for her, but more than that, he felt overwhelming anger at the persons who would dare to do such a thing to his Videl. _His _Videl? Where did that come from? His shoulder fell as he exhaled sharply. He shouldn't be having these feelings anyway. He wasn't supposed to know what happened. In her mind, Gohan and the Gold Fighter were two very different persons.

Against his better judgment, he felt the need to comfort her. The boy sat next to her on her bed and stroked her dark, silky hair in a soothing pattern, secretly relishing the feel of it. Instinctively, Videl curled into his side and her furrowed brow immediately smoothed. For a split second, he wondered if he was going about this all wrong. Maybe he _should_ tell her about his heritage and the past fourteen years of his life. Maybe she'd accept him for who he was. His pessimistic side wasted no time countering his logic. _But what are the chances of that happening?_

The girl next to him groaned in her sleep, startling out of his thoughts. With the grace of a cat, he got up a slid out the door, towards the G.R. He had to make sure he watched his back today.

888

As Gohan struck down the last training bot, the wake-up call sounded over the P.A. system. Landing gracefully on one knee, Gohan gave the command for the G.R. to return gravity to normal. He lay on the floor briefly to catch his breath before ingesting the sensu bean. Immediately, the many deep cuts and areas that were already beginning to bruise cleared up, leaving his skin virtually flawless, save for the old ones which seemed immune to the power of the little green bean. As he moved to a corner of the G. R. he realized he'd forgotten to bring his usual change of clothing due to his concern for Videl. Now he was going to have to go out there shirtless with numerous rips in his pants. Not only that, but most of the students had already congregated in the gym so there was no chance of him sneaking by unnoticed. Briefly, he wondered if Dende was in on the girls' plot against him and this was part of it.

Sighing in defeat, Gohan held his head high and walked to his room, ignoring the astounded looks on the students' faces at the state of his clothing and the bloodstains on his completely healed wounds.

He walked back a few minutes later; dressed in a shirt sleeved, blue gi with red wristbands and boots. Taking his seat among his students he listened to what Krillen and Yamcha had to say.

"Alright everyone, we have some good news and some great news. Which one to you guys want to hear first?" Krillen said a huge smile on his face.

"How about the good news?" a boy spoke up.

"Well, you guys will not be doing any training today," Krillen said.

Before the words were fully out of his mouth, the students broke into a loud cheer.

"However, you still have to wear your shells until the end of the day. Then you can take them off forever!" Yamcha said, earning an even louder cheer from the crowd.

"So what's the great news?" another student asked, literally bouncing in place from excitement.

"You have today and tomorrow to do whatever you want!" Yamcha replied with a smile, earning an ecstatic applause.

"Alright, alright," Krillen said, "Settle down! We still have a lot of work to get done today. The first thing I need you to do is pair up, go back to your rooms and get one item that would help both you and your partner survive in the wilderness. It cannot be anything electronic. Also, no capsules are allowed. You will be scanned before you leave and any smugglers will be sent home immediately with an F in this class. So I suggest you discuss what it will be with your partner so your item will be beneficial to both of you. Be back in half-an-hour."

The students groaned. How were they supposed to survive for a week on only one item? How were they supposed to survive without their cell-phones or laptops or even a cPod? It just wasn't fair!

Gohan was now sure that Dende was involved in the plan. Now, after all his hard work he _had _to be alone with her. Well, he guessed he'd better get used to it. Once they were out in the wild, she was going to be the only human being he'd see for a week. He locked eyes with Videl, "Lead the way," he said, speaking his first direct words to her in three days.

888

Gohan and Videl walked through the halls, an awkward silence prevailing between them. As they stepped through the threshold of their room, Videl couldn't take it anymore. She had seen no sign of Erasa's plan coming to fruition although the blonde had reassured her several times that it was still in progress. To be honest, she just couldn't wait any longer. "What-what happened to us? Did I do something wrong?" she asked almost timidly. "I've gone over the situation over and over again and the only thing I think I did that wasn't very appropriate was getting so close to you and I'm sorry. Just please tell me what's wrong so I can fix it!"

Gohan looked at her surprised. As selfish at it seemed he never once thought she'd be this affected by his distant behavior. The thought of him being the cause of the anguish expressed in her eyes killed him. He stood there gaping, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Words seemed to ignore his summoning. His heart stopped as he noticed her lower lip trembling, tears welling up in her sparkling blue eyes. Right then, he wished a bullet could kill him. He knew how to deal with a lot of things, but a crying woman was not one of them. He took the girl by the shoulders, turning her around to face him. Moving closer to her, he hugged her to him as tears began to roll down the girl's face. He apologized into her hair over and over again, rubbing her back in a soothing manner. He couldn't help but think this was almost exactly the state the incident at the warehouse had put her in, except now he was the cause of her pain. The last time he'd felt so guilty was when he thought he'd lost his father for good after the Cell Games.

Not long after, the tears subsided and Videl pushed him away gently. Gohan wiped the last remaining tears from her eyes before he explained himself in the best way he knew how without completely revealing his feelings.

"I-I'm just so sorry, Videl," he apologized yet again, sitting on his bed. "I never meant to hurt you. I was just-"

"You were what?" Videl asked softly, gazing at him through wet eyelashes as she sat across from him on her own bed.

"Scared," Gohan admitted, hanging his head. "I was just scared."

"Of what?" Videl coaxed him.

Gohan grimaced, a blush permeating his cheeks. It looked like there was no way out of it. He would have to at least hint his feelings for her in order for her to understand why he did what he did. "When you touched my face that night, I just felt emotions I've never felt before. I didn't know how to deal with these…feelings so I just bolted! It was really stupid of me. I shouldn't have done that," he said quietly.

A moment of silence followed his statement, causing Gohan to expect the worst. He looked at the floor, finding new patterns in the carpet as he awaited Videl's response. Well, that was if she decided to dignify him with one.

"I felt new feelings too," Videl confessed. This earned her a surprised look from Gohan. "I still don't know what they are… but can we at least be friends until we do figure out what's going on?"

A small smile made its way lazily over Gohan's face. "Deal!" he said, shaking hands with her. There was still no guarantee she'd accept him once she knew the whole truth but he had to admit, this conversation gave him hope.

888

After rooting through their stuff for a while, Gohan and Videl lay down on their beds. They lay in a comfortable silence for a while before Videl spoke up. "So what are you bringing?" she asked, lying on her stomach facing him.

Gohan looked over at her. "My sword, I guess," he replied, shrugging.

"You have a sword?" Videl asked incredulously. "Where did you get a sword from? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Well I got my first sword when I was four and I've been training with them ever since," Gohan responded. "It's not dangerous once you know how to use it."

"Can-can I see it?" Videl asked shyly. Why she was being this timid about it, she had no idea.

"Sure!" Gohan replied, getting up to retrieve it from under his bed.

As he lifted it from the ground, Videl gasped as the five foot long masterpiece was released from its sheath. The hilt was gold and beaten into the shape of a dragon's head. Several emerald stones made up the facial features of the beast. The blade was long and curved to a deadly point, glinting in the dim lights of their room.

"Wow! It's amazing!" Videl said.

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome. My first trainer made it for me," Gohan said with a fond smile. "So what are you bringing?"

"Well, I'm trying to decide between a tent and a sleeping bag," Videl supplied.

"I think you should bring the sleeping bag," Gohan told her. "It gets pretty cold in the mountains at night so you should keep warm. We can always find shelter."

"But what about you?" Videl responded. "Won't you get cold? Krillen said the item had to benefit us both!"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," Gohan answered.

Videl took out the sleeping bag refusing to give in. "Oh! I didn't know daddy bought such a big one! I guess we could share," Videl replied, a bit relieved but seeing the uncomfortable look on Gohan's face she couldn't help but tease him. "You've never slept with a girl before have you?" She blushed when she realized the double meaning her words carried.

Gohan blushed and shook his head. "Not one I didn't consider family," he replied nervously.

Videl chuckled. "Just relax. We're only sleeping," she said then added sternly, "No funny business!"

Gohan just smirked back. "I won't if you won't," he teased back. He was glad they were back to normal.

888

A few minutes later, the students sat in a semi-circle facing Krillen and Yamcha. The scarred-faced former bandit stepped up to speak first.

"Alright, everyone," he said. "What we're here to teach you today are the basic skills of survival. Can anyone tell me what the four most important things you need to find in order to survive in the wild are?"

Videl raised her hand and Yamcha gestured for her to answer the question. "Food, water, shelter and protection," she replied. She had read a survival manual the night before they left to come here. Once she was going into unfamiliar territory, she was determined to know everything she could about her surroundings.

"Very good, "Krillen responded. "As Videl said, the first things you want to make sure you have are food and water. Next you be sure to build yourselves somewhere to shelter near a water source and find a way to protect yourselves.

"Could everyone take out their chosen item?" Yamcha asked. The students reached into their pockets and pulled out the capsule they had stored their item in.

"Ok, Brittany and Todd, you brought a makeup kit and a hairbrush?" Krillen responded, a sweat drop rolling down the back of his neck.

"Ok…moving on! Sharpner and Erasa you brought doughnuts and pepper spray." Yamcha said. "Well I guess that's a little bit better. How about Mirai and Lime? I see you brought a tent and a sword," he continued.

"Mirai, I know you and Gohan have been doing this survival thing since you were kids, but did you really have to bring the swords?" Krillen said gesturing at the students who had already backed away from the two pairs. "You're scaring the others."

The two boys looked at each other and grinned. "Well you said to bring something useful on a survival trip that's the only thing I was allowed to bring when I went on my first survival trip," Gohan responded cheekily.

"Whatever," Krillen replied tiredly. "So anyway, the first thing you need to do is find a source of water. You can do that in quite a few ways. First you can listen for the sound of a stream or waterfall. You can also follow small herbivorous animals, certain birds, and a few types of insects since they usually live within a short distance of a water source. Any questions?"

A girl raised her hand. "What does habivious mean?" The entire class sweat dropped. Krillen and Yamcha scratched their heads, wondering whether this trip was a good idea after all.

"It means something that eats plants," Yamcha answered.

Another boy raised his hand. "How do you know if they eat plants?"

Yamcha chuckled. "It's all on the sheet I'm passing around. It has a list of the animals and plants you will encounter and how they may help or hurt you along with a few tips."

Krillen then spoke up. "Also for those of you who didn't bring a tent we need to demonstrate how can build yourselves a hut in case you're not lucky enough to find an empty cave," he said. "Follow me."

The students grabbed their stuff and followed the two martial artists into the backyard. There, they found a series of logs along with a few vines, giant palm leaves and pointy stones. They formed a semi-circle like before and watched as their instructors demonstrated.

"So what you need to do mark out the area you want your hut to be in then is find an appropriate stone to dig out a hole for the logs around the edges," Krillen said as he and Yamcha got started. "Next you place the log in the hole, and fill in the hole with dirt, making sure the log is sturdy," he continued leaning his weight against the vertical log. "After you finish placing the logs, use the vines to tie them tighter together. Next you create a roof by tying the palm leaves together and then tie them to the logs so it doesn't fly off. Everyone understand?"

The students nodded.

"Now we are going to spend the rest of the day practicing how to make huts, knives and other neat knick knacks that might help you in the wild.

888

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Review please?


	13. Truth or Dare

Thanks again for all the reviews. I don't own DBZ

**_Last time..._**

**_"Now we are going to spend the rest of the day practicing how to make huts, knives and other neat knick knacks that might help you in the wild," Krillen said._**

* * *

**_Truth or Dare_**

888

Later that night, Gohan and Videl slumped down on their beds. Videl had changed into a black tank top and white sleeping shorts while Gohan was dressed in plaid boxers and a white T-shirt. Suddenly, there was a knock on their door. Gohan opened it to reveal their four other friends.

"What are you guys doing here?" Videl asked looking skeptically at the bottle of vodka Sharpner was carrying.

"We just thought we'd play a little game before bed," Erasa replied a little too innocently, winking at Videl. She was holding an empty soda bottle.

Videl did a mental face palm. She had totally forgot to tell Erasa that she and Gohan had made up and now the girl was about to unleash her 'master plan'.

"What's that?" Gohan asked, interested. He was nowhere near tired right now.

"It's called 'Truth or Dare' " Mirai responded. "Basically, you spin the bottle and whoever it lands on has to pick a truth or a dare. If the person refuses to answer the question or do the dare, they have to take a shot. You also can't choose truth or dare more than twice in a row. You're allowed three drinks. If you refuse more than three requests, you're out of the game."

"Sounds cool. I'm in!" Gohan agreed.

Videl was not so easily convinced. She knew underage drinking was wrong and she should stand up against it. Seeing the look on Videl's face, Erasa pleaded, "Come on, Videl. Lighten up! Have some fun for once!"

Videl just groaned and conceded. On the bright side she would find out more information about Gohan.

They all sat in a circle on the floor. Mirai decided to start first and bottle landed on our favorite blonde haired boy. "Sharpner," he said. "Truth or Dare?"

Sharpner smirked back confidently. "I'm no chicken! Dare!"

Mirai's face formed an expression only seen on Vegeta in his formative years. "I dare you to sneak into Miss Wheeler's room and squeeze her boob," Mirai said, eyes sparkling with glee as Sharpner's expression turned to one of horror. His face alone sent all the other teenagers in the room into a laughing fit.

In the short time, Mirai had been around the woman, he knew she had quite the attraction for younger men. More than once he had noticed her staring at Sharpner's ass. "But she's old and her boobs are all saggy!" Sharpner protested. The thought alone sent shivers down his spine.

"Are you chicken?" Gohan goaded. He would never let this boy live that down if he went through with it.

"No!" Sharpner protested but reached for the bottle of vodka. "I'm taking the drink"

It was now Sharpner's turn to spin the bottle. "Erasa, truth or dare?" he asked.

"Truth," the blonde girl responded.

"What the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?" Sharpner asked.

Erasa's cheeks immediately heated up. "Umm. Last year I um went to this restaurant with my ex- boyfriend and they um served me some bad fish. Anyway I didn't make it to the bathroom and I shit myself in the middle of the restaurant." Her confession elicited some howls of laughter from the rest of them and the girl hung her head in shame.

"Don't worry. Everybody's had something really embarrassing happen to them," Gohan comforted giving her a one-armed hug.

Erasa just nodded, enjoying the feel of Gohan's muscular arm around her shoulders. _ Bad Erasa! He belongs to Videl!_ She pulled gently away from the boy, spun the bottle and said, "Videl, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Videl responded without hesitation.

"I dare you to sit on Gohan's lap for the rest of the night." Erasa challenged, a victory smirk, crossing her face at Videl's red face.

"Fine," Videl grumbled and sat on the boy's legs as he sat Indian style. She spun the bottle and it landed on the boy in question.

"Gohan! Truth or dare!" Videl asked, hoping he would pick truth so that she could ask him if he was the Gold Fighter.

"Dare," Gohan responded much to Videl's chagrin. Now she had to come up with a dare to give him.

"I dare you to challenge Mirai's dad to a fight the next time you see him," she said. She was terrified of the man and she figured Gohan would be afraid to fight him as well.

Gohan scratched his head but chose not to say anything. "Um, ok," he responded then spun the bottle.

"Lime, truth or dare," Gohan asked.

"Truth," Lime responded. She was terrified of any dare her devious 'older brother' would come up with.

"Is it true that you have a crush on someone in this room?" he asked, a sly smile on his face.

Lime blushed cherry red. "I'll take the drink," she responded, taking a shot.

"Well that was wasted," Gohan remarked. "You might as well have said yes."

Lime just shot him a glare and spun the bottle. It landed on Mirai. "Truth or dare?" she asked.

"Truth," Mirai responded.

Lime tapped her chin in thought before a brilliant spark came to her eye. "What is your wildest sexual fantasy?" she asked.

"What the hell, Lime?" Mirai yelled, his cheeks the color of a fire truck.

Sharpner only wiggled his eyebrows. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he teased Lime causing her to blush as well.

Mirai stammered incoherently and looked around desperately for an escape.

"We're waiting," Erasa sighed dramatically tapping her wrist in mock impatience.

"Um," Mirai said finally, "I'll take my first drink."

"Wuss," Sharpner said through a fake cough.

"Asshole!" Mirai responded in the same manner before spinning the bottle. It landed on Erasa. "Truth or dare?" he asked her.

"Dare," Erasa responded.

"I dare you to call Satan City police department and have phone sex with the officer who picks up the phone," Mirai responded, grinning from ear to ear. "Make sure you put it on speaker."

Erasa's jaw dropped but to the amazement of all who were present, she took out her baby pink cell phone and dialed the number, which she had gotten from Videl.

The phone rang three times before someone answered. "Satan City Police Department. How can I help you?" a man's tired voice came on the phone.

Erasa gulped a little and blushed again. She took a deep breath before saying, "Hey babe, can you guess what I'm wearing?" she asked in her most seductive voice.

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end before the man responded in a raspy tone. "Excuse me?"

Erasa looked around and smiled devilishly, "You heard me handsome!" she said flirtatiously. "Now how about you put down that donut and have some fun with me."

"S-sure," the man stammered. "W-what are you wearing?"

Videl grimaced as the man's breath quickened on the other end. She couldn't believe she worked with these people!

Erasa grinned. "Well…right now I'm just about to go into the shower so I'm wearing a lacy pink bra and matching thong."

"W-what size?" the man's raspy voice came over the other end.

"What size is what?" Erasa replied in mock innocence.

"Y-your t-tits? How big are they?" the man responded.

"34DDD," the blonde girl replied simply. Then she gasped. "Oh, well now the bra's off."

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end along with the steady rhythmic sound of skin on skin. Videl wanted to die right then and there. She recognized the man's voice as the police chief who also happened to be in his fifties, married and had four kids. Didn't he have any sense of loyalty to his wife? She would never be able to look at him the same way again.

"T-take off your panties!" the man said.

"Ah ah!" Erasa responded as if chiding a young child. "I want to have some fun with my boobs first."

Right then, Sharpner pressed the end key. He could _not_ take this anymore. He did not want some shriveled up old man jacking off to the image of _his_ girl! That was reserved for him and him alone.

Erasa looked around and found the whole group looking at her, some in amazement, others (Sharpner and Videl) in disgust.

"I cannot believe you just did that!" Sharpner exclaimed.

"Hey! It was only a dare!" Erasa defended. "There's no way in hell I would like actually _do_ that with someone like him!"

"I have now lost all respect for Satan City Police Department," Videl responded, burying her face in Gohan's shirt.

Gohan patted her back. "There, there," he said. "You'll be alright."

Erasa just shrugged and spun the bottle. It landed on Gohan. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Gohan responded. He was going to take dares as long as he could. He definitely didn't want anyone, especially Videl asking him to tell the truth about something.

"I dare you to grind with Videl to a song of my choice!" Erasa said, laughing maniacally. She really wanted to see Gohan get loose.

Videl's face flamed as she and Gohan made their way to the front of the room. Gohan on the other hand was looking desperately for a hole he could jump into. Sharpner, Erasa and Lime looked on in amusement as the two got up. Mirai discreetly took out his phone and set it to video record as Erasa put on the soundtrack.

Gohan groaned and nervously placed his hands on Videl's hips as the song "Ride It" by Jay Sean came on. He began grinding stiffly into Videl's hips, feeling mortified as she gave no response but soon enough, as the song progressed into the chorus, they both got into the music. It was obvious that Videl especially loved to dance. Videl hand wound her hands around Gohan's neck from her position in front of him, as she grinded erotically with him.

Gohan inhaled deeply and gasped, feeling intoxicated by her scent. He closed his eyes as he ran his hands against the subtle curve of her hips, enjoying the feel of her firm derriere pressing into his groin. He never thought Videl could possibly turn him on but he was now seeing the error of his ways. Too late he noticed he was beginning to get an erection. Quickly, he imagined Roshi in a thong to get himself under control, hoping she didn't feel it.

Even though the song was almost over, Videl continued to grind earnestly into him, appreciating the feel of his sculpted body. For a split second she felt a hard lump against her lower back but it no time it was gone. She turned her head back, looking up at him in curiosity and instantly knew what had happened as soon as she saw the embarrassed blush on his cheeks. Wow! She had managed to get a rise out of Gohan; Mr. I'm so in Control of Everything!

He looked down and nervously gulped as he gazed into her cerulean eyes. That look she was giving him was enough to send shivers down his spine.

"Wow," Lime spoke in wonder, breaking the spell as the music stopped. "That was intense."

Erasa was fanning herself, cooling her red cheeks. "Wow. If you two have that much chemistry dancing, I can just imagine what sex between you would be like!" she squealed.

"Erasa!" Videl screamed, mortified. Although she'd never admit it, thought had crossed her mind during their little display. It seemed that boy was passionate in everything he did. "We don't like each other like that!"

"Mhm," Mirai said skeptically. "Sure you don't."

Still feeling flustered, Gohan sat down on the floor and Videl resumed her position on his lap. "Well, I guess it's my turn now," Gohan said. "Mirai, truth or dare?"

"Dare," Mirai challenged.

"I dare you to…" Gohan said, smirking deviously. "Kiss Sharpner on the lips."

Mirai paled. "Ooh, _hell_ no!" he responded in horror. "Give me that shot glass!"

"Should've known you were a coward," Gohan said with a dramatic sigh.

Mirai glared at him. "I'm no coward!" he defended, grabbing the blond boy who was sighing in relief and planting one on his mouth. All the teens burst out laughing as Mirai realized he'd been duped into doing exactly what Gohan wanted. Both boys stared at each other before promptly excusing themselves to go brush their teeth.

"You are _evil_!" Lime said, giggling.

"Who me?" Gohan answered innocently, giving the Son Puppy Dog Look ™.

"Looks can be deceiving," Lime shot back, causing the boy to pout.

Since it was Mirai's turn, they had to wait until the boy came back before resuming the game. They didn't have to wait long though. Glaring at Gohan, Mirai posed the famous question. Since he couldn't get revenge on Gohan he had to settle for the person who was laughing the loudest. "Lime, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Lime smirked.

"I dare you to drink ten shots in a row," Mirai challenged, knowing Lime could _not_ hold her alcohol.

Lime just made a face at him before taking her first shot from Sharpner. By her seventh shot, her vision was blurring but she was determined to go on. She down the tenth shot, slamming the glass down on the table. She regarded Erasa unsteadily before slurring, "Ewrasa, struths or dare?"

"Dare," Erasa replied.

Lime giggled hysterically causing the others to look at her as if she was crazy. "I dawre you tho, um, danth with me!" With that statement she grabbed Erasa's hand and led her to the front of the room, forcing the poor girl to dance to the music playing only in her head. Soon, Lime had reached for her shirt and had begun to inch it up slowly, causing Mirai to go bright red.

"Lime, keep your clothes on!" Gohan yelled at her. At least she was wearing a bra.

"No! Why dtho you care? S'not like you hathent althready seen me nakie," Lime said, bringing her shirt up and over her head.

With that all heads turned to Gohan who shook his hands in front of his face. "I walked in on her when she was taking a shower once," he responded in his defense.

"I wanna nap. Mirai, can I nap in your lap? Haha! That rhymed," Lime chatted. She straddled Mirai's hips, pressing her scantily clad chest against his as she laid her head on his shoulder. Mirai turned even redder than before.

"Um, ok," Mirai said, clearing his throat, picking the drunken girl up bridal style. "Let's get you to bed."

The others laughed at Lime's little display but they knew the game was over now. Sharpner and Erasa grabbed their stuff and bid the two dark-haired teenagers goodnight.

888

The two teens lay in bed, having long since turned off the lights. However neither of them could get to sleep.

There was a question burning in Videl's head from ever since she got here and she felt now was the perfect time to ask it. Taking a deep breath she asked, "Gohan are you awake?"

"Yeah," Gohan responded. "What do you need?"

"Could you train me?" she requested meekly.

"Why?" Gohan responded. He was officially confused. Videl had wanted nothing to do with his style of martial arts in the past. Why would she want it now?

"I just want to become stronger. I'm too weak as it is. I saw the results Sharpner got and I want the same thing. I just want to be able to defend myself and the city." Videl answered, babbling on once more.

However, Gohan didn't laugh at her babbling this time. He sat up, looked the girl straight in the eyes and said, "Don't you _ever_ let me hear you say you're weak. You're one of the strongest persons I know."

Videl's eyes widened. Where had she heard that phrase before? Her heart stopped as her mind locked around the events at the warehouse. It was the Gold Fighter. The Gold Fighter was Gohan! But how? The Gold Fighter and Gohan had totally different hair and eye colors. But then again, the people her father said did the tricks at the Cell Games could do it to! Was it a trick? Also, every time she left to go fight crime, Erasa said Gohan would leave the room for 5 minutes or less and return. Yet the Gold Fighter would be with her for sometimes more than an hour! How was that possible? Was she mistaken?

"Gohan, truth or dare?" Videl asked.

"Truth," Gohan said. He'd run out of dares now. He had no idea why he was continuing the game even though it was already over.

"Are you the Gold Fighter?" she asked, suddenly afraid of the answer. If he was, he knew about the nightmares that plagued her every night and she didn't know how she felt about him having that knowledge.

"Yes," Gohan admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. He had to start trusting her. This was also a test. If she could keep this secret and accept him as the Gold Fighter, perhaps in time she'd be able to handle the entire truth of his heritage.

Videl lay in silence for a moment. All the anger she expected to feel for him, the betrayal, the foolishness for believing he was just an ordinary teenager that so happened to be a prince, never came. It was more of a relief than anything else. Moreover, she had no desire to share this knowledge with anyone else. When she had first met the Gold Fighter, she had been cocky and stupid. She had wanted to expose him, if only to get revenge on him for being stronger than she was. Now she thought back on it, it seemed eons ago although it was only last month. It was amazing how much you could grow up in such a short period of time.

Videl rolled over and turned to face him. "I'm not going to ask you how or why you did it. But I wanted to say thank you for saving my life," she said eventually.

Gohan smiled in relief. He'd made the right choice telling her. "We start training tomorrow," he replied simply, reaching over and setting the alarm for 4:00 a.m. once more.

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Hope you like it!


	14. Personal Training

Hey everyone! I'm back again! I just want to say thank you to all the reviewers both old and new. I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**Videl rolled over and turned to face him. "I'm not going to ask you how or why you did it. But I wanted to say thank you for saving my life," she said warmly.**_

_**Gohan smiled in relief. He knew he'd made a good choice telling her. "We start training tomorrow," he replied simply, reaching over and setting the alarm for 4:00 a.m. once more.**_

* * *

_**Personal Training...**_

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Gohan and Videl groaned as their alarm clock went off. Today was the one day they were allowed to sleep in but Gohan insisted this would be the best time to get in some training. Gohan pulled on his gi over his boxers while Videl went into the adjoining bathroom to change into her training clothes. No more than five minutes later, they were on their way to the gym.

Videl looked on warily as Gohan headed for the room she'd seen him emerge bloody and bruised from just three days before. A slight panic crept up in her. She didn't sign up for _that_ kind of training. Timidly she asked, "Why are we going in there?"

Gohan looked over at her and seeing the cautious look on her face chuckled. "I guess I didn't give you a very good first impression of the GR. It's not dangerous at all once you use it in the right way," Gohan responded.

"So if you know how to use it, why were you and Mirai so beat up?" Videl asked.

"It had nothing to do with the room. We did that to each other," Gohan responded. "People like Mirai and me, embody the saying, 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger'"

"So does that mean Mirai's a Gold Fighter too?" Videl asked.

Gohan smiled and nodded.

"Can I become a Gold Fighter to?" Videl asked hopefully.

Gohan shook his head. "I'm sorry Videl but the transformation you call Gold Fighter depends on your genes. My father and Mirai's father are the last surviving members of an ancient warrior clan and only the clan's descendants are able to achieve the Gold Fighter transformation."

Videl nodded in disappointment. She would have really liked to see what it would be like to be blonde if even for a moment.

"I can teach you how to fly if you like though," Gohan said, trying to cheer her up.

Videl looked up at him in amazement, looking very much like a kid in a candy store. Her eyes lit up as she mulled over the idea of being able to fly. A bright grin crossed her face as she nodded eagerly.

Gohan chuckled. She looked just like Goten when he had given him his favorite teddy for the first time. "Alright then, follow me," he said, leading the way into the Gravity Room.

Once inside, the two friends sat Indian-style on the floor facing each other. Gohan looked at her perplexed look and spoke up before she could protest. "What we're going to do right now is harness your ki," he said.

"Ki? What's that?" she asked.

"It's your life energy. It's locked away deep within your body," Gohan tried to explain but was interrupted by Videl.

"What gives you the right to talk about my body?" Videl demanded, her face turning red.

Gohan just rolled his eyes in impatience. "Do you want to learn to fly or not?" he asked tiredly.

"Of course I do!" Videl responded.

"Then we'll do it my way," the teenage boy answered.

"Fine. So how do I access this ki?" she asked.

"You'll have to meditate. You have to clear your mind completely and be totally relaxed or you'll never find it," Gohan continued.

Videl was about to reply that she knew what meditation was, but held her tongue in case the boy decided not to bother teaching her.

"I'll show you mine and then if we're lucky, in a few hours you'll be able to show me yours," Gohan responded, using the innuendo just to rile her up. What could he say? It was his guilty pleasure.

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Meanwhile, Mirai and Lime lay in a tangled heap of sheets and limbs on Lime's bed. There was no sound save for Lime's soft snores. With a groan, Lime rolled over trying to snuggle deeper into Mirai's chest but succeeded only in pushing them both over the side of the comfortable single bed, Lime landing squarely on Mirai's chest.

Lime opened her eyes but quickly forced them shut as her attenuated senses caused the gentle sunlight permeating their window curtains to intensify sevenfold. She muttered some unladylike phrases causing the boy beneath her to chuckle lightly.

Mirai looked up to see Lime, her face splotched with red patches, hair resembling a bird's nest, and face contorted into the worst grimace he had ever seen on her. He smiled to himself as he realized she still looked beautiful to him despite her current situation. He blushed as the memories from last night returned to him. The auburn haired girl practically jumped him the minute their entered their room but he refused to give in to her in case it was just a fit of drunken passion. He wanted to be sure she really wanted to be with him. Instead he carried her to her bed but the stubborn girl refused to let him leave. Deciding it wouldn't hurt; he lay down next to her, cradling her to his side instead.

Feeling the rumbling in his chest, Lime opened her eyes to look at him. "What are you laughing at?" she hissed. Her own voice sounded as if it were amplified through a microphone.

Mirai just smiled. "You," he whispered, kissing her cheek. "I'll be right back," he promised, going off to get her some of his mom's special hangover medicine and a glass of water.

Lime was so shocked at his actions she had no response for him. Had he just…? Thinking hard to last night, the brunette's cheeks flamed as the memories came back. She remembered him taking her back to their room and the minute they entered the door, she had kissed him with all the passion her drunken body could muster. And he had responded, quite earnestly too! Clothes had begun to disappear off their bodies but he had stopped them from going any further. She was slightly disappointed that they didn't go all the way but at the same time, she didn't want their first time to be a drunken mess. She wanted to be perfectly aware of every kiss, every touch and every sensation.

Not much later, Mirai reappeared, wearing nothing but his boxers, causing Lime to blush at his bare chest. For some reason, no matter how often she saw it she still blushed as if it were the first time.

"Here you go," the boy spoke, his voice lowered as to not irritate her heightened sensitivity to sound.

Lime took what he had to offer gratefully. Bulma's recipe was the worst piece of crap she had ever tasted but it got rid of a hangover in an instant. Holding her nose, she gulped down a tablespoon of the serum, reaching for the glass of water to wash it all down. When she opened her eyes, all the pain was gone. Yes, it still worked like a charm.

"All better now?" Mirai asked gently.

Lime smiled up at him and nodded. She had to have the sweetest boyfriend ever. She froze in that frame of thought. But did he really _want_ to be her boyfriend? They really needed to talk about this. However, before she could open her mouth, Mirai spoke.

"What are we, Lime?" Mirai asked. "I mean I know you remember what happened last night."

Lime bit her fingernail in nervousness, avoiding her eyes. "Do you regret it?" she asked timidly. _Please say no! Please say no!_

Mirai wasted no time before responding, "Not at all," much to her relief. "Do you?" he asked.

Lime just smiled and shook her head. "So I guess this means we're together, I mean if you want to be…" she trailed off.

Mirai just cupped her face, leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle, yet passionate kiss. '_Truth or Dare is now my favorite game,' _was Lime's last thought before she wrapped her arms around his neck and lost herself in his embrace.

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Videl sat Indian style on the floor, sweat forming large beads on her forehead as her brows furrowed. She had been trying to access this ki of hers for the past three hours with no success. She felt like a failure. Gohan had summoned the light blue ball of light effortlessly. She had been amazed at the sight of it, nearly falling forward into his lap when she leaned in to get a closer look.

"You have to calm down, Videl," Gohan cut into her thoughts. "You're too tense."

Videl opened one eye and glared at him. "I don't know what's wrong with me! I bet it didn't take this long for you to access your ki!" Videl screamed in frustration. To her surprise, Gohan only chuckled at her outburst. Quick to take offense, she determined he was laughing at her. "It's not funny!" she growled at him.

"No," Gohan said through chuckles. "It's just that my first trainer threw me at a mountain and if I wanted to survive I had to bring out my ki to protect myself. Somehow I don't think that's the best route to go with you."

Videl drew a blank. What kind of asshole what his trainer? How could he toss a four year old at a mountain to teach him how to fly? That was just inhuman! Little did she know she was not far from the truth. "I'll just go back to meditating," she said hesitantly just in case he got any ideas.

One hour later, Videl felt a slight tug inside herself. In her mental eye, she saw a pink ball of energy, nestled deep within her. She heard Gohan tell her that she had finally found it and she needed to push it gently out through her hands. Concentrating harder, the Satan girl did just that and after four hours of meditation was able to produce her first ki ball. Never mind the fact that it appeared in her hands for all of two seconds. Exhausted, she fell forward but was caught by Gohan before her face became acquaintances with the tiled floor.

"You did great," was the last thing she heard before she drifted off into slumber.

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Thanks for reading! Hope you like it!


	15. Pool Time

**Hey everyone! I'm back from the dead. Hopefully someone's still reading this story... Anyways I'm on break from school now so hopefully I should be able to update more often. I don't own DBZ.  
**

**Here's what happened last time...**

_**One hour later, Videl felt a slight tug inside herself. In her mental eye, she saw a pink ball of energy, nestled deep within her. She heard Gohan tell her that she had finally found it and she needed to push it gently out through her hands. Concentrating harder, the Satan girl did just that and after four hours of meditation was able to produce her first ki ball. Never mind the fact that it appeared in her hands for all of two seconds. Exhausted, she fell forward but was caught by Gohan before her face became acquaintances with the tiled floor.**_

_**"You did great," was the last thing she heard before she drifted off into slumber.**_

* * *

_**Pool Time  
**_

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A few hours later, Videl woke up feeling like she'd just been run over by a truck. Not only that, but she was starving! _Damn! This ki training really takes a lot out of you! And I didn't even move one inch off the ground yet! Am I really that weak? How long is it going to take?_

Videl was cut off from her internal berating by the sound of the door opening. It was Gohan with a tray of the most delicious food she had ever seen.

Noticing she was awake, the Son boy smiled. "Hey Videl!" he greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Famished," Videl replied, eying the tray greedily.

Gohan chuckled and handed her the meal. "It's a pleasure milady," he replied using his snootiest accent and bowing extravagantly. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Videl giggled at his behavior. "No," she said putting on her own accent while waving her hand flippantly. "That will be all, Horace."

With that, Gohan collapsed on to her bed in laughter causing Videl to dissolve into giggles as well. "Horace?" he asked incredulously, lying on the pillow next to her.

"What?" Videl defended, stabbing her knife into a warm blueberry pancake. "It was the first butler name I could think of!"

The boy just rolled his eyes. This girl was definitely a piece of work.

Before he could say another word, they door few open, revealing a very excited Erasa. She gave the boy a look that told him to vacate the premises immediately.

"Uh, I'll go now," Gohan tripped over his words leaving his place next to Videl.

Waiting a few seconds to be sure he was gone, Erasa turned her bright, shining eyes on Videl, causing the dark-haired girl to gulp. "So you two were looking rather cozy!" she teased. "Breakfast in bed already?"

Videl blushed. "It's nothing like that! We were just training really early this morning and I was really tired!" she tried to defend.

"So I'm guessing he carried you in his arms back to your room?" Erasa asked slyly. She giggled at the appalled look on her friend's face. "Sweetie, there's nothing wrong with that! Hell, I'd jump out of a second story window for someone that sexy to catch me!"

Videl just blushed and refused to answer. She had to admit that she loved the feeling of his arms around her but she swore she wasn't passing out on purpose!

"So in other news, did you see him naked last night?" Erasa asked.

Videl turned cherry red. "No! I didn't!" she retaliated loudly. "Why would you even ask such a question?" she asked Erasa, her voice returning to hushed tones.

"Well, now we know what a hottie he is, I thought you would sneak a peek at the goods since you two were getting so cozy last night! You could totally tease him about it and make him do that cute little blush he does when he's embarrassed," Erasa replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Erasa!" Videl responded, "I'm not you!"

"Yeah, yeah! Always the prude, aren't you? "Erasa teased.

"I am not a prude!" Videl exclaimed.

"Oh really? Prove it," Erasa countered causing Videl to go bright red.

"Oh come on, Erasa!" Videl whined. "You can't be serious!"

"It's a shame to have a body like that around you and not put it to good use! I saw the way you two were dancing last night. Unless you're scared," Erasa remarked.

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Videl proclaimed. "You have a deal but only if you get with Sharpner." She smiled as she saw Erasa blush. "You think I didn't know about you two?"

"Ok hush! You have a deal!" Erasa replied.

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The teenagers had spent much of the late morning in the den watching some movies. Then a message came over the P.A. system that they were going to have a pool party/barbecue that afternoon.

"Well I hope everyone brought their swimsuits!" Erasa said, determined to have some fun while she was here.

"Erasa!" Videl whined. "I just ate!"

"Videl, silly. We still have to change out of these clothes, put them away _and _get dressed in our swimsuits! That will take at least an hour!" Erasa said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And you two are going to wear whatever I tell you to, alright?" she added, dreamily looking at Videl and Lime, possible outfits dancing in her head.

"So then we meet at the pool in an hour's time then?" Sharpner asked for confirmation.

"That's what I said," Erasa said cheerily as the group parted ways.

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One hour later…

"Gohan! Mirai! You two better get your butts out here _in your swimsuits_ in the next five minutes or I'm breaking the door down," Videl screamed. Sharpner, Lime, Erasa and she were standing outside the door for five minutes now and were all starting to get pissed.

The boys had barricaded themselves in Videl and Gohan's room. It was now the moment of truth and while they weren't particularly shy about showing off their bodies, once they heard their newly formed fan club was waiting for them at the pool, they refused to leave the room.

"There's no way in hell we're coming out there if those rabid girls are there!" Mirai shouted back.

"Can't we just wear our shirts and shorts?" Gohan tried to compromise.

"Nuh uh!" Lime replied. "If Videl and I have to wear these tiny bikinis, you guys are going shirtless."

"You're wearing what?" they both replied at the same time, opening the door to see for themselves. Their jaws dropped as their eyes roamed over their respective crushes. A bright red blush graced their cheeks.

Meanwhile, Videl and Erasa stared openly at the two boys' godlike torsos while Sharpner looked on in slight jealousy. Since Gohan had begun training him, his body had undergone a transformation for the better but it was nowhere near the level of the two demi-saiyans'. Mirai was wearing green swim trunks while Gohan was wearing red and black trunks. Their bodies were tanned and toned to perfection. '_I think I'm in love!' _Erasa thought dreamily. '_That portrait did not do that boy justice.' _Videl thought as she felt a small trickle run down her nose at her rather unclean thoughts.

"Ok," Sharpner interjected, jarring everyone else out of their not so clean thoughts. "Now that you two are out, let's go!"

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Meanwhile, at the pool, the teenagers had gone wild. Everyone was dressed in their sexiest swimsuits. The jocks and cheerleaders were pantsing each other and the other students. A few hung out at the bar while others played volleyball on the other side of the pool.

As the six teenagers strolled in, all activity ceased. The students stared in astonishment at them. The jocks gaped, trying to stem the blood dripping from their noses. There was Videl in an itsy bitsy sapphire blue bikini and she looked awesome in it. It was like a fantasy come true. Her small waist and big bust were accentuated by the two piece low cut swimsuit and the string bottoms left nothing to the imagination. Then there was Lime. This girl definitely rivaled Videl with her muscle tone. Although neither of them were very tall, their toned body and soft skin were the epitome of female sexiness. Erasa surprised them the least. After all, the girl wore revealing clothing on a regular basis. However, there was no doubt about it that she was hot! Her curvy body looked great in her light pink bikini which accentuated her much larger bust. Needless to say all the guys were in dreamland at that moment.

The girls had their share of the fun as well. Gohan had never looked so attractive in the entire month of knowing him. Who would have thought the athletic yet nerdy new boy would have been promoted to the hottest guy in school. Well, Mirai actually tied with him for that spot even though he technically didn't go to their school. Both boys had defined arms, a tight eight pack each and strong muscular legs. To their fan club, these boys were absolutely delicious and they were going to have them for lunch. Sharpner was known around school for his bulky muscles but everyone was shocked to see that the jock's muscles were more on the lean side, making him seem less like an action figure and more like a real fighter.

Suddenly, the six friends felt a strong breeze. In a split second both Mirai and Gohan were on the ground, the blurs on their chest solidifying to reveal Goten and Trunks. "Big brother!" they cheered simultaneously.

"Hey squirt!" Gohan said, ruffling Goten's hair. "What are you two doing here?"

"We wanted to play in the pool with you guys!" Trunks chimed, his pearly whites on full display.

"Just don't get into too much trouble, ok?" Mirai said.

The two boys nodded before scampering off, making a huge cannonball in the water, consequently soaking everyone within a ten foot radius.

Wiping the water out of his eyes, Gohan looked around at his friends before collapsing into laughter. They all looked like drowned rats, hair falling messily into their faces.

Moving her hair out of her eyes, Videl glared at Gohan. "What are you laughing at, Son?" she yelled. "You're in the same situation!" Taking a good look at him, she had to retract her earlier statement. Not even the tips of Gohan's spiky hair drooped under the weight of the water. How the hell was his hair still sticking straight up? Growling, she tackled the unsuspecting boy, tossing him into the deep end of the pool. What she didn't count on was his arms wrapping around her bare waist, pulling her along with him.

Gohan laughed even harder as he emerged from the depths. "Ha! Nice try, Videl!" he gloated. Opening his eyes, he looked for the Satan girl but she was nowhere to be found. Furrowing his eyebrows in concern, he called her name again, only to get no response. He looked over at his friends in worry only to see his expression mirrored on their faces. Taking a deep breath, Gohan dove back under the water, searching for the fallen girl. Seeing her unconscious body a few feet away from him, Gohan swam towards her at a fast, but human pace. Taking the Satan girl in his arms, he rose to the surface, hoping she was still breathing. As he got to the edge of the pool he lay the girl down on her back as her friends rushed to her side. Just as Gohan was about to get out of the water, he felt a draft south of the border. Looking through the clear water, he noticed his trunks were gone.

"Give it back!" a high pitched shriek came from behind him. "I got it first!"

"No!" another screech came. "Finders keepers losers weepers!"

Gohan pinched the bridge of his nose as the two fangirl tore his swim trunks in two. What further irked him was that Videl was sitting up, perfectly fine and laughing her ass off! The Son boy glared at her. "We'll see if I ever try to save you again," he growled.

"Aww," Videl teased. "You can't mean that!"

"Try me," he boy grumbled back, not in the least amused. "Now can someone get me a towel or something?"

Right then, all of Gohan's so-called friends smirked evilly in one accord. "Nah, I think we should let him sweat a bit, huh guys?" Lime said.

"Come on guys! Seriously?" Gohan asked incredulously as he noticed more of his fangirls drawing nearer to him.

"Oh! My! God! Gohan's like totally naked!" a blonde screeched at the top of her lungs. The other fangirls looked around desperately trying to locate their idol. Once they did, what happened next could only be described as a tidal wave of blonde hair and hairspray.

"Oh shit!" was the last thing that left Gohan's mouth that day.

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Four hours later, Gohan groaned, seeing all his 'friends' smiling at him. He tried to glare but it hurt way too much. Instead he settled for a pained groan. Gohan's messy hair was tousled even more. Bubblegum stuck out at odd places within his spiky mane. Red welts covered his arms, torso and buttocks from the girls' pinches and lipstick shades ranging from bubble gum pink to sexy red adorned his face.

Right then, Goku and Vegeta walked in to pick up the younger demi-saiyans. They smirked at each other as they noticed the fallen teenager. _Should have ran, son._

"Hi dad!" Trunks exclaimed, running over to his father.

"Hello, son," Vegeta responded affectionately, laying his hand on his son's head. "I hope you didn't give your mother too much trouble."

"No sir!" Trunks replied with a proud grin.

"Daddy!" Goten jumped out of the pool and launched himself into his father's arms, giving him an impromptu bath.

"Hey, little guy! Hope you had fun!" Goku responded happily, taking the soaking in stride.

"Yeah! It was awesome! Gohan got attacked by some girls and they took away his pants!" Goten chatted excitedly.

"Oh really?" Goku asked, sending a smirk to his elder son. Turning back to the little boy who had by now climbed onto his shoulders he added. "You are going to fill me in with _all_ the details. Have fun kids!" he said to the class before the four of them left.

Gohan groaned knowing he was never going to hear the end of it once he got home. To think, his dad didn't even stop to ask him if he was alright…

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Read and Review!


	16. Cast Away

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your reviews. You guys encourage me everyday.

Anyway as promised, here's another chapter. Happy holidays everyone!

_**Last time...**_

**Gohan groaned knowing he was never going to hear the end of it once he got home. To think, his dad didn't even ask him if he was alright…**

* * *

**Cast Away  
**

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At 3:30 the next morning, Krillen decided to try his luck at the Reveille once more, as he blasted the tune over the P.A. system. The students fell out of their beds at odd angles, rubbing their eyes in an effort to rid themselves of their grogginess.

Gohan was already up before the wakeup call. He had been plagued the entire night by nightmares of the vicious fan girls. Even the brushes the blanket made against his skin as he breathed caused him to squirm. In times like this he wondered why he couldn't just blast them all to HFIL.

'_That's because your mom would kill you for killing a potential mate,'_ his subconscious reminded him.

His mind automatically drifted to Videl. 'Mates? Who needs them? I start liking a girl and look where I end up!' he thought back to his inner voice.

'Come on,' his inner voice chided. 'You survived! Be a man!'

He glared at his inner voice. 'That's beside the point! She willingly put me in danger!' he retorted, rubbing his still-sore bum.

'You know you're not just hurting your own pride! You're destroying mine! Now go get a shower and see if you can grow some balls while you're in there!' his inner voice said exasperatedly before leaving him.

Gohan was about to reply before he realized he was arguing with himself. '_Side effect of growing up an only child for 12 years, I guess'_ he thought to himself before getting up to use the bathroom. '_Besides I want to get out of here before Mirai eats all the food!'_

Right then, Videl got up. She greeted Gohan with an apprehensive look which he answered with a glare. '_Nope! He still hasn't forgiven me as yet,'_ the dark-haired girl thought to herself. Gohan had been giving them all the silent treatment ever since the incident. He was the worst with her as he was reluctant to even make eye contact with her and when he did, she received nothing but a devastating glare. _'Great way to start off surviving in the wilderness, Videl. Oh well, the least I can do is let him have the shower first.' _However it was then that Videl's bladder had decided to make its _very _full presence known. '_Crap! I gotta pee!'_ was the last thing Videl thought before making a dash for the bathroom, slamming it in the unsuspecting teenage boy's face.

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Lime and Trunks, however, were already dressed and walked out into the hallway, laughing at the bewildered look on their classmates' faces, and greeted them happily as if it were 9:00am instead. They strolled to the kitchen, where the chefs had already laid out an elaborate breakfast for their guests. They filled their plates and ate to their hearts' content, finishing just as the stampede of adolescents including their friends burst through the large double doors.

"Hey! Where's my food?" Gohan asked, staring at the small amount of food remaining. The other students scrambled to fill their plates before the feeding frenzy could begin.

Mirai chuckled. "You snooze, you lose!" he teased.

Gohan glared at him then turned his glare on Videl. "I hate you both!" he grumbled, resigning himself to the slightly larger than human portion of food that was left.

"I told you, I'm sorry, Gohan!" Videl groaned. "I really needed to use the bathroom!"

"That's still not going to put food in my stomach!" Gohan replied, angrily. "Not to mention how you sold me out yesterday!"

"Oh toughen up!" Lime said smacking Gohan on the back of the head. "When we go to the mountains, you can catch yourself a couple of fish or something. You've survived fangirls before, you can do it again."

"Fine," Gohan grumbled and cleaned his plate in mere seconds.

"By the way what happened with you two this morning?" Erasa asked Videl.

"Well we woke up early and he was all mad at me from yesterday. Anyway I decided I was going to let him use the bathroom first but then I had to pee." Videl explained. Erasa nodded in comprehension. "Since I was already in there, I decided to take my usual half an hour shower as well and came out to see him looking at me like I had killed his favorite pet and he's been mad at me ever since!" Videl continued.

"Oh my gosh, Videl," Erasa exclaimed. "How could you tear poor Gohan away from his food?"

"How was I to know Mirai would actually eat it all?" Videl tried to defend herself.

"Didn't you see them eat yesterday, and the day before, and the day before?" Erasa asked incredulously.

"Good point," Videl conceded. "I told him I was sorry."

"I'm sure he forgives you, Videl," Erasa said.

"Not likely," Videl moaned back, slapping her forehead.

Right then an announcement came over the PA system. "Everyone please report to the gym!"

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Krillen and Yanmcha were waiting for them next to Bulma and Miss Wheeler.

Bulma spoke up. "Well class, you are allowed to bring one extra set of clothing and no capsules. Everyone, grab your item and your clothes, take a backpack from the pile to your left and leave your capsules in the bin to your right," she said.

"Don't even bother trying to smuggle any capsules. You will be scanned before entering the jet plane and anyone caught will be sent home immediately with an F. Is that understood?" Miss Wheeler added.

The class nodded and did as they were told.

"Alright then, we'll all be heading into Bulma's jet plane and she will drop you off at your separate locations. I'm handing you each a GPS tracker," Krillen said, handing them all a small leather necklace with a red button on the back of the pendant. "Be careful not to take them off because this is what we'll use to find you in case of an emergency or if you give up. Just press the red button. I'm also giving you each a camping backpack to put your things in. You will earn a letter grade for every two days you stay in the wilderness. 0-1 day you'll get an F, 2 -3 days you'll get a D, 4-5 days you'll get a C, 6 days, you'll get a B and if you last until the 7th day, you'll get an A. Is that clear?"

The class nodded again. "Ok, everyone let's go," Yamcha said as the class followed behind him.

"Mirai, Gohan and Lime," Krillen said. "Will you come see me?" The three looked at each other in confusion before following Krillen.

"What's up?" Mirai asked the former monk.

"Well, Bulma had this idea of you three not using your powers, since you have an unfair advantage over the others, so she made trackers for you that also took away your powers so it would be more even," Krillen said, revealing three necklaces that seemed identical to the ones they were currently wearing. "Vegeta and Goku also seemed to be happy with this idea. They said it's a good way to see how much you have progressed as martial artists when it comes to technique alone."

"But what if there's an emergency?" Gohan asked.

"Press the red button," Krillen said with a smile. "Now go on and join the class!"

The three sighed and obeyed. When they got back, they were immediately ambushed by Videl. "What did he want with you guys?" she asked.

"Oh, he just wanted to tell us that our dad's will be participating in the search and rescue in case anyone gets lost and to play fair since you guys have never done this kind of thing before," Gohan replied.

"Oh, ok," Videl responded. "That makes sense."

"Hey everyone!" Bulma said, cheerily. The blunette was dressed in a light green sundress and flip flops. "I hope you're all ready for this trip."

"Oh, I know I am," Miss Wheeler replied in her bikini and sunglasses, never mind the fact that the sun had barely risen. The students shot dirty looks at their teacher, once again feeling jealous of her.

"Anyway, my pilot will be taking you into the air and dropping you off at different spots. You will each be blindfolded and the windows are darkly tinted to disorient you," Bulma continued. "No one is allowed to take their blindfolds off until you have reached your specific destination. So goodbye, be safe and stay alive!"

The students then waved goodbye and piled into the rather large plane. As they put on their blindfolds, the world faded into darkness.

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Read and review!


	17. In the Jungle er Forest

Hey everyone! Here's yet another chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews and happy reading! I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**"Anyway, my pilot will be taking you into the air and dropping you off at different spots. You will each be blindfolded and the windows are darkly tinted to disorient you," Bulma continued. "No one is allowed to take their blindfolds off until you have reached your specific destination. So goodbye, be safe and stay alive!"**_

_**The students then waved goodbye and piled into the rather large plane. As they put on their blindfolds, the world faded into darkness.**_

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**In the Jungle...er Forest**

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The students felt the plane rising high in the sky and make a few turns. Every fifteen minutes or so, the plane would land and Krillen and Yamcha would lead the chosen pair of students out into the wild. Soon, it was Mirai and Lime's turn.

As their feet touched the ground, they whipped their blindfolds off and watched the plane fly away. Not a minute later, they heard a large roar.

Lime rolled her eyes. "Didn't you just eat your _and_ Gohan's breakfast?" she said in disgust.

Mirai blushed. "It wasn't _that_ much," he tried to defend.

"Whatever," she said. "Let's go find you some food."

They walked through the dense forest, following a few small, brown rabbits to a nearby stream. Mirai promptly stripped down to his boxers and jumped into the water. Meanwhile, Lime pitched their tent and went into the bushes looking for edible fruits.

Minutes later, Mirai emerged dripping wet, holding ten fishes that were about the size of whales. After gutting and scaling the fish, Mirai tried to ki roast them, only to find he couldn't use his ki. Grumbling, he made a fire pit of stones and dry dirt before filling it with dried grass. He rubbed two sticks together, trying to generate some friction.

After twenty minutes of trying, he still couldn't get it. He gritted his teeth in frustration. _How hard can it be to start a simple stupid fire? Why did mom have to take away our powers? I mean in the future, my entire life was a survival trip, but at least I had my powers to make it easier. How did Gohan manage to survive out here as a four-year-old with no knowledge of ki?_

That was how Lime found him a few minutes later. She had collected a bag full of berries, using her backpack as a basket. "Come on, Mirai!" she teased. "You could defeat a pair of world-conquering androids but you can't light a simple fire?"

Mirai glared at her. "If you think it's so easy, how about you come over here and try it!" he challenged.

Lime smirked. "Sure!" she said cheerily. She grabbed the sticks from him and a minute later, they were staring at a huge bonfire. She dusted her hands off and gave him a triumphant smirk. "_That's _how it's done!"

Mirai growled at her, embarrassed that he'd been upstaged by his crush. "How do even know how to do this? I thought you'd never been on a trip like this before!" he said suspiciously.

"Well, in the village my dad would have bonfires in the backyard every weekend," Lime said. "He showed me how."

"I'm sorry, Lime," Mirai said as he set up a pit. "I guess I was a just a little jealous."

"It's ok but I guess now you know how I feel," Lime mumbled.

"What do mean, Lime?" Mirai asked, impaling the fish on a large rod.

"I mean you and Gohan and even little Goten and Trunks are so strong. You can do things people would never think possible," she said. "No matter how much I train, I could only ever achieve a fraction of what you guys can do."

"Well, I definitely never meant to make you feel that way," Mirai said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "But still, our power comes at a great price. I mean we are the only people strong enough to defend the planet when someone decides to take over. We have to stare death straight in the face every single time and believe me; it takes a toll on you."

"Well I guess, I never thought about it that way. You guys always seem to _want _to jump into the face of danger," Lime said softly, running her fingers over the huge scar right over his heart where Cell had shot him to death.

"It's our obligation to take care of our families and friends," Mirai said, grimly. "Even if it costs us our lives."

"Well, I guess I never said it before but thank you!" Lime said, giving him a tight hug. Mirai's face turned bright red, feeling her body so close to his but returned the hug anyway. They stared into each other's eyes, feeling their faces heat up as they drew closer together. Although they'd kissed before the feeling was still new to them. They could feel each other's breath on their lips when another large roar broke their trance.

Lime fumed and slapped him upside the head. "Just go eat!" she screamed at him, before stomping off, a bright blush on her face.

Mirai just laughed and retrieved the fish from the pit. "Let's get you fed," he said to his Saiyan stomach before digging in.

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_Meanwhile with Sharpner and Erasa…_

"Get moving, Sharpie!" Erasa yelled, beyond frustrated with the blond jock. They were placed on a rocky crag along-side a waterfall and needed to hike down the mountain to the bottom. So far they'd been here three hours in which time he had barely gone a quarter of the way down.

"I'll be right there," Sharpner said, taking baby steps. He was strong, he was handsome and he was smarter than people gave him credit for. However, Sharpner Pencil did _not_ do well with heights or bugs and the place the jet had dropped them off was overrun by them both. He had tried not looking, but obviously that wasn't a very good idea on a very steep hill. What hurt the most were the repeated blows to his pride. In every moment he had spent up here, Erasa had shown him up. She was already halfway down the mountain. The blonde girl had certainly learned quite a few things from her best friend. When had she started working out, he had no idea.

"Grow a pair and get over here this instant!" she shrieked, her face turning red both from the physical exertion and the yelling.

"Alright," Sharpner said reluctantly. Taking a deep breath, he placed his right foot forward an inch, following closely with his left foot. That was when a butterfly landed on his nose. Sharpner went cross-eyed as he stared at the gigantic _thing_ that was on his face and that was when the screaming began. "Get it off me! Get it off!" he yelled swiping at the butterfly which lazily flapped its wings once at him. In his desperation, Sharpner didn't notice he'd started running down the mountain until a rather large rock tripped him up and set him rolling head over heels the rest of the way. The butterfly, sensing danger, took off from the blond boy's nose to safety, but that could not be said for Sharpner as he rolled into yet another conveniently placed porcupine at the bottom of the mountain.

Staring in astonishment as the slowpoke rolled past her, Erasa thought, '_So __**that's**__ what it takes to get him moving!'_ Tucking away this new piece of information, she resumed her trek down the mountain, arriving at her twitching partner's side an hour later.

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_Later with Gohan and Videl…_

Videl gasped in wonder at the panoramic scene before her. She thought places like this only existed in fairy tales. They were at the base of a mountain which partially encircled a small, clear lake. On their side of the lake, there was a beautiful meadow filled with fruit trees and colorful flowers in full bloom. One or two small animals and deer grazed at a safe distance. A few smooth boulders emerged from the surface of the water, forming a walkway to the other side.

"Let me go check out the other side," Gohan said.

Videl frowned. "Why should _you_ go?" she asked. "Why don't I go? Is it because I'm a girl?"

"Geez, Videl," Gohan said. "No need to be so uptight! I was just volunteering to go. It makes no sense for us both to go when there could be nothing over there. If you want to go, you can go ahead."

Videl blushed at her snappiness. _Now here I go yelling at him for no reason again! I guess I am a little uptight. _She bowed her head. "Sorry, Gohan!" she apologized. "I guess I'm just so used to people thinking I'm weak because I'm a girl."

"I thought I told you not to refer to yourself as weak," Gohan replied.

Videl smiled gently. "Yeah, you did," she said. Putting a smirk on she added, "After all, what do you expect from the daughter of the strongest man on Earth?"

Gohan rolled his eyes. "I thought we've been over this, Videl. Your father has nothing to do with your strength. It's all the hard work and dedication _you_ put into your training that got you this far, not his claims!" Gohan responded, getting frustrated at the short girl in front of him.

Videl's eyes widened at the realization that she was once again using her father's name. _Here I go at it again. His dad's like the second strongest martial artist and he's the prince of a whole kingdom! _

Gohan rolled his eyes again at the 'second strongest' remark. The truth was Goku and Vegeta were neck and neck for the title of strongest. A spar between them could go either way with them fighting at their maximum potential. Gohan and Mirai, on the other hand trained regularly but not anywhere near the extent that their fathers did so they were at relatively the same level. Lime was about as strong as Krillen and she was still stronger than Videl or her dad by a longshot, although, with training, Videl could easily become as strong as Lime or maybe stronger. Suddenly he realized her mouth never moved. _What's going on here? Could I be…? No! It's way too soon…or is it?_ "You go ahead," he said to Videl, wanting some time to think.

Videl nodded and jumped from rock to rock, across the lake until she was on a small rocky shore. Looking up, she spotted a crevice in the mountain side. She spotted a few smooth rocks leading up to the cave almost like a natural staircase.

"I think there's a cave up there!" she yelled across the lake to Gohan.

"Check it out," he yelled. "But be careful. There could be wild animals in there!"

Videl nodded. "I will," she said before climbing up to cave. When she got to the top, she gazed into the cave. The first few feet into the cave seemed good enough for them to stay in. It was tall enough for Gohan to stand up in comfortably and there was more than enough legroom for them to sleep. However, she couldn't see further than ten feet into the cave and that made her nervous. Something could easily be lurking in there, just waiting to catch them off guard. She turned heel and headed back to Gohan.

"Well it seems pretty cool but the back is so dark, I can't see a thing!" Videl said.

"Alright. We can make a fire and check it out," Gohan said. "Go collect some dry grass while I get some fire wood."

Videl nodded and went off into the meadow. In a few minutes, a small fire blazed before them. They each took a sturdy stick and lit the edge on fire, forming a torch. Together, they headed across the lake and into the cave. Videl put down her things at the mouth of the cave before joining Gohan at the back. Shining their torches into the darkness, they saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Looks like there's nothing here," Videl said.

Gohan, unable to sense ki could only nod. As they turned around, a cold breeze suddenly blew, snuffing out their torches and plunging the cave into darkness. The two teenagers gulped as they heard heavy breathing behind them. A second later, a loud roar emanated from the depths of the cave. Videl shut her eyes and braced for death while Gohan turned around, drawing his sword.

The giant beast charged at Gohan, knocking him to the ground and…_licked his face?_ Gohan laughed, realizing it was just his childhood friend, Icarus. By no means was Icarus a baby anymore. He now stood at ten feet with a fifteen foot long body. His characteristic purple scales remained the same but his baby face was almost gone, replaced with a more menacing look. His diet still consisted of plants but he did need to protect his territory.

"Hey boy!" Gohan chuckled. "Long time no see! You really gave us a scare!"

Videl whirled around as she heard Gohan laughing and talking to the beast that would have surely ended their lives. "What is going on here?" she screeched.

Gohan winced, holding his sensitive ears. Icarus, however, was not amused. He growled at her and lifted a mighty paw, ready to strike the person who had disrupted his reunion with his master. Gohan's eyes widened. "No, Icarus!" he scolded.

The dragon looked at him with a confused face. Why wouldn't his master want to be rid of this noisy human being? "No, boy!" Gohan chided. "She's loud but she's a friend ok? Now say you're sorry."

Icarus didn't look too pleased but grudgingly nuzzled Videl. The things he did for his master.

"Gohan Son!" Videl began to yell, but lowered her voice seeing the glare Icarus gave her. "Why didn't you tell me you had a pet _dragon_?"

Gohan shrugged. "You never asked," he replied easily.

Videl growled at his answer. This boy was really confusing her. It seemed that he was nothing like she thought he would be. When she had first met him, she had thought he would have had a hamster or rat as a pet or that his weapon of choice would have been a light sabre or something to that effect. After knowing he could fight, she'd upped the stakes to a pit bull and a gun, only to find out in reality it was actually a dragon and a sword. The more time she spent with him was the more she noticed that after a month, she did not know Gohan Son at all.

She turned back to Gohan who was currently asking the beast if they could stay in his cave for the duration of their trip. The beast seemed eager to have Gohan over but looked skeptically between herself and his master.

"Yes, she needs to stay too," Gohan told the beast as if he were talking to a small child. Videl felt humiliated that a dragon was deciding whether she would have to find herself some shelter on her own.

The beast seemed undecided about her until Gohan made the most adorable face she had ever seen in her life, and this included small children and puppies. Icarus looked away, only to find Gohan's massive eyes staring at him with a pleading look. He nodded grudgingly only to be caught in a bone crushing hug from the teenager.

Right then another roar, larger than Icarus' echoed off the walls. Videl looked frantically behind the boy and his pet to see what other creature was about to attack her when Gohan chuckled and held his stomach. "I guess I'm a little hungry," Gohan stated sheepishly. Icarus rolled his eyes at the boy. Some things never change.

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Review please? I know its very similar to the original but new adventures ahead!


	18. Body Issues

Hey everyone! I hope everyone had a happy New Year! Thanks for all the reviews and I don't own DBZ.

**_Last time..._**

_**Right then another roar, larger than Icarus' echoed off the walls. Videl looked frantically behind the boy and his pet to see what other creature was about to attack her when Gohan chuckled and held his stomach. "I guess I'm a little hungry," Gohan stated sheepishly. Icarus rolled his eyes at the boy. Some things never change.**_

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__**Body Issues**

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Gohan rubbed his stomach as another deafening roar escaped the black hole. "Ok, Videl," he said. "How about you take out the sleeping bag and start a fire while I go catch some fish. My stomach's not taking 'no' for an answer."

"What are you going to catch the fish with?" Videl asked curiously. They hadn't brought a fishing pole or anything and so far she saw nothing they could use as bait.

"Oh, my dad taught me how to catch them with my bare hands," Gohan said laughing with his hand behind his head. "He was on his own for a while after his grandpa died when he was a kid so he learned to hunt and fish to feed himself."

"Really?" Videl replied, amazed. She wasn't sure whether she was more astonished that the legendary Son Goku survived by himself as a mere child or that he was able to learn to catch fish with his bare hands. "How are you guys even fast enough to keep up with them?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Well, it took a lot of practice but it's possible," Gohan said, leaving the cave with Icarus following behind them. The dragon lifted Gohan up by the back of his shirt and tossed him on his back. He flapped his seven foot wide wings once before taking off from the cave.

Videl watched, impressed. If you had told her a day ago, that she would be living in a cave with a boy and his pet dragon, she would have sent you to the nearest mental hospital. She shrugged it off and decided she wouldn't question him… too much. Pulling the sleeping back from her backpack, she set it down on a soft patch of dirt close to the left side of the cave, being sure to remove any stones that might give them sore backs in the morning. She then gathered some rocks, sticks and dried leaves for the fire. After that, she arranged the rocks and sticks to form a small pit for them to cook the fish on, then lit the fire. After a few minutes of waiting, Gohan still wasn't back and Videl was staring to get bored.

She really wanted to know how he fished without bait or a rod so she decided to follow him out to the pond. She arrived just in time to witness the biggest fish she had ever seen, upside down with Gohan's legs sticking out its mouth. All she could do was scream as Gohan seemed to struggle for his life. _Please don't die, Gohan! I still haven't figured out your secrets! How am I ever going to get you to like me if you're dead? Also, if you go that pet of yours is going to kill me in a heartbeat! _Frozen in place, she could only watch as the drama unfolded before her.

Suddenly, the sky darkened. Videl looked up in astonishment and sweat dropped. Really? A solar eclipse? Even the gods were mourning Gohan's imminent death? Who was this guy? It turns out it was just Icarus. The mighty dragon swooped down, grabbed the fish by the tail, and tossed it into the already high pile of fish on the shore, revealing a soaking wet, and very naked, Gohan.

As much as she wanted to turn away, she couldn't. There was that masterpiece of a body she had glimpsed for the first time yesterday but this time nothing stood in the way of her exploration. He was facing away from her, exposing his firm posterior. Every muscle on the teenage boy's body was cut and toned to perfection. Something at the back of her mind prayed for him to turn around and of course that's exactly what he did. A small trickle of blood dripped from Videl's nose as she feasted her eyes upon Gohan, taking in his chiseled chest and tight abs. As her eyes trailed unashamedly down his body they locked upon the one part of his anatomy she had yet to see and her eyes bugged out in shock. Damn was she impressed! She had thought her imagination was exaggerating his size when she felt him against her the other night, but it turned out she was more or less accurate. How the hell was she supposed to act normally around him after this?

"Videl!" Gohan's voice broke through her thoughts as the cerulean-eyed girl blushed, knowing she had been caught. She tried to turn away but found she couldn't as her eyes continued to feast upon his body. However, Gohan seemed not to notice his current state of undress. "Are you finished?" he asked.

Videl's mouth opened and closed like a fish as she desperately searched her mind for an intelligent response. An unintelligible gurgle escaped her lips instead. Videl once again blushed at her brain's lack of control over her body. She realized her brain would not work unless Gohan was sufficiently covered so she gestured for him to replace his clothing.

Gohan looked down at his body and realized he was nude. Being the son of Goku, he wasn't really embarrassed about his nakedness but understood Videl's discomfort with the situation. "Sorry Videl," he said, pulling on his boxers. "I didn't expect you to be out here!"

Finally, Videl's brain could function although a bright blush seemed to permanently stain her cheeks. "You just wanted me to see you naked now didn't you," she accused, her voice an octave higher than normal.

"What? You were the one spying on me!" Gohan protested. Smirking he added, "And from the looks of it you like what you see!"

Videl's face turned even redder. "I was _not_ spying!" she retorted. She couldn't refute that she liked…no, loved what she saw so she wisely chose not to comment. "And you didn't even seem to care anyway!"

"Actually I didn't really. I have a body just like any other guy. I just didn't want my clothes getting wet unnecessarily," Gohan reasoned.

Videl's blush returned full force. _**Now **__he decides to be modest? _'_Just like any other guy?'_ _Who does he think he's kidding? And my dad's the fricking Pope!_ If she didn't know what a man looked like naked before, she definitely did now! "Just warn me next time!" she yelled before turning heel and practically running back to the cave, hiding her red face.

"Ok," Gohan replied to her retreating back with a chuckle. He had definitely not planned out this situation but he had to admit, her staring at him openly in what could only be admiration stroked his ego quite a bit. Not to mention, she looked absolutely breathtaking with that blush upon her cheeks. Using a vine, he tied the fishes' tails together, grabbed the rest of his clothes, and climbed up on Icarus' back while the dragon picked up the pile of fish, saving Gohan from having to explain how he could lift so many fish at once.

Two minutes later they were all back in the cave with the fish roasting in the fire pit. The three sat in a comfortable silence until Gohan's stomach gave another loud growl.

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_Erasa and Sharpner…_

Erasa grabbed her backpack and headed into the forest, foraging for food. As she came upon a berry bush, she took out the pamphlet Yamcha had given them earlier, and compared it with the picture to ensure it wasn't poisonous or anything. Seeing that it was a rather healthy fruit, Erasa picked a bunch of them and tossed them into her back pack. After an hour or so, she'd found a few apples, oranges and surprisingly, a few coconuts.

Heading back to camp, Erasa laid out her food in front of her on a layer of palm leaves she had washed in the river; her can of pepper spray within arm's reach.

"Please, Erasa," Sharpner begged, salivating at the rather beautiful display of fruit before his partner. "Can I have just one little bite?" He'd eaten the last doughnut for breakfast and now his stomach was protesting.

"_No_!" Erasa shouted at him. "_You _ate our breakfast for the entire week and didn't give me one little crumb. If you want food, _go get your own!_" Right then, she took out two sticks that she had carved into the shape of a fork and knife using a sharp stone. She then slowly ate the fruit, closing her eyes and moaning loudly, to torture the boy even more.

Seeing her eyes were closed, Sharpner inched his hand forward, hoping to grab a particularly large apple. His plans were foiled however, as Erasa snapped open her eyes and squirted a healthy burst of pepper spray into the blonde's baby blues.

"Aah!" he screamed, running around blindly. Wanting desperately to extinguish what felt like a fire blazing through his ocular senses, Sharpner tried every disaster safety technique his teachers have ever tried to teach him. He looked both ways before crossing the street, before he realized two things: one there was no street and two his eyes hurt even more when open. Moving on, Sharpner went for Duck, Cover, and Hold on, before he realized that there wasn't an earthquake. Then he stopped, dropped and rolled… right into the frigid water of the river.

All this time, Erasa watched with mild amusement as her idiotic partner flailed around in a foot of water.

"Help!" he screamed splashing water into his face. "Erasa, I'm drowning!" Why did he have to get stuck here with that heartless girl? He thought that Erasa would be one to never deny him food, even if it meant she would starve herself. The wilderness really brought out the worst in people.

Instead he was met with Erasa's unsympathetic reply. "Sit down, you idiot!"

Sharpner opened his eyes, realizing they didn't sting anymore and sat up. _Oh, I guess I wasn't drowning. _Narrowing his eyes at the blonde girl, he pouted as she chuckled away at his situation. _But still she could have acted like she cared. It __**is**__ possible to drown in a foot of water._

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_Mirai and Lime…_

"Ok, Mirai." Lime said. "I'm done." As the day was rather hot and humid, they had decided they would take turns bathing in the river with the other staying in the tent for privacy.

She stepped onto floor of the tent which was covered fresh grass and leaves to form a large, comfy bed, and zipped the tent behind her. It was dark by now, and the two were beyond tired. Mirai moved over to give her some room and the two quickly fell asleep.

The next morning Lime awoke to find herself wrapped in Mirai's arms with her back against his chest. Apparently the temperature had dropped during the night and they shifted closer to each other subconsciously, seeking warmth. The feeling of his bare muscular chest against her back was exquisite. She could easily picture waking up like this every day for the rest of her life, although a real bed would be preferred. As she wasn't quite ready to wake up and she couldn't move even if she wanted to, she squirmed against him to get a little more comfortable, only to feel something hard poking into her lower back. Thinking it was just his hand; Lime squirmed a little more only to have Mirai moan softly at her movement, loosening his grip on her.

"Ah! Lime that feels so good," he sighed.

It was then Lime realized that _both_ his hands were resting on her stomach so the only thing it could be was… She pedaled back quickly and her face flamed as she realized that a certain part of her crush's anatomy was standing at full attention, easily seen though his thin boxers.

All the commotion caught Mirai's attention as he groggily asked. "What happened?"

Lime turned away immediately, refusing to look at him. She was so embarrassed. Sitting up, Mirai realized the tightness of his groin and turned around, blushing and apologizing profusely. _Now you really screwed things up, you idiot. She probably thinks I'm a pervert now. So much for wanting to wait… _He wasn't so embarrassed at the morning wood than he was at the fact that he was actually having a dream about his girlfriend that would make his father blush. "I'm so sorry, Lime," he said, wishing the ground will take mercy on him and swallow him whole. His embarrassment made it easy for him to calm himself down.

"It's ok," Lime said, meekly. She could feel the humiliation radiating off him in waves and felt guilty for reacting that way. He stiffened as he felt cool hands touch his bare shoulders as the young lady enveloped him in a hug from behind. "I'm sorry too. I overreacted even though I know it's totally normal," she said with a smile. _Besides, I'm going to have to get used to that sight. I see many fun nights ahead!_

Looking back at her, Mirai cupped her cheek and kissed her. She just always knew how to make him feel better instantly. "You know I love you, right?" he whispered with a laugh.

Smiling back at him, Lime replied, "Yeah, I know."

After embracing in silence for a while, Mirai's stomach once again interrupted. Grinning, Mirai said, "How about we get something to eat?"

Lime giggled and nodded, exiting the tent. She washed her face off in the river before going into the forest, searching for breakfast.

Mirai looked out of the tent and, noticing Lime was gone, walked down to the river, stripped off his boxers and dived into the clear water. The cool water was refreshing; both to his body and mind. He swam a few laps across the width of the river, getting in some exercise as he cleared his mind. He dove into the water and caught a few fish and tossed them onto the shore. Climbing out of the water, he replaced his boxers and sat at the shore as he gutted the fish.

Lime came back a few minutes later, added her fruit to the meal already prepared and dug in.

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Review please?


	19. Facing Their Fears

Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews! Here's another chappy! Hope you like! I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

**_Mirai looked out of the tent and, noticing Lime was gone, walked down to the river, stripped off his boxers and dived into the clear water. The cool water was refreshing; both to his body and mind. He swam a few laps across the width of the river, getting in some exercise as he cleared his mind. He dove into the water and caught a few fish and tossed them onto the shore. Climbing out of the water, he replaced his boxers and sat at the shore as he gutted the fish._**

**_Lime came back a few minutes later, added her fruit to the meal already prepared and dug in._**

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Early the next morning, Gohan's eyes fluttered open. It was still dark outside and the only noises to be heard were the occasional crickets and Icarus' light snoring. Looking down, Gohan realized he and Videl had shifted in their sleep so that they were now spooning against each other. Both his arms were settled on the girl's exposed stomach, as her shirt had ridden up slightly during the night. Her head lay on his strong chest while his rested on her shoulder. As they were so close, he could smell her soft feminine scent, loving the aroma of her lavender shampoo. Right then he had to thank every deity that nature didn't decide to give his groin a workout this morning. That would have been disastrous.

The previous day, he had spent time with Videl gathering enough fruit from the forest that would last them at least three days. They had also found a river with a small waterfall where they could bathe in privacy or go swimming. As the pond was nearby, Gohan could always dive in and grab some fish if they wanted some.

They had decided to get up early to continue Videl's training which had been put on hiatus since the day before they left the palace. He hated waking the girl but it just had to be done. Removing his arms from around her waist, he leaned down and whispered gently in her ear, "Videl. Time to wake up."

His breath tickled her ear causing the dark haired girl to squirm before her eyes opened lazily. She rolled over and snuggled deeper into Gohan's chest. "Maria…" she grumbled. "I don't wanna wake up yet…too early."

Gohan gave a chortle at the girl's words. She was clearly out of it. He decided to use a tactic he often used on Goten when he refused to wake up. "But Videl," he continued. "You have to wake up. The Gold Fighter's taking down the Red Shark Gang without you!"

"Gold Fighter…abs…yummy…" Videl babbled, a goofy smile spreading across her face.

Gohan's face flamed as his body stiffened. Did she just say…? _Wait. Calm down, Gohan. She just likes my body. That doesn't mean she likes me! Does it? _

"Gold Fighter…" Videl repeated, dreamily. Suddenly she shot up, inadvertently head-butting Gohan under the chin. "Gohan! If you think you're going to take down the gang without me, you've got another thing coming!"

"Ow!" Gohan yelled as he bit down hard on his tongue, moving about a foot away from the Satan girl in the process.

Videl looked around wildly as she realized she was not in her bedroom. Looking to her left, she noticed Gohan trying to stem the flow of blood from his mouth. It was only then that Videl felt immense pain on the crown of her head. "Ow! What the hell happened, Gohan?" she yelled, only to cringe as her loudness made her head hurt even more.

"You sod noh! You hid me!" Gohan tried his best to explain with a useless tongue. Storming off, Gohan went down to the pond to wash the blood out of his mouth. At least he hadn't bitten the tip off.

Videl stared at the boy's retreating back, rubbing her still sore cranium. Suddenly she felt heavy breathing on her neck. Gulping heavily, she slowly turned around to face a very grumpy Icarus. The dragon slowly advanced on her, causing her to step back with every move he made. Before long, Videl felt hard rock behind her. _Oh hell! Where the hell is Gohan when you need him? I mean I did give him a bloody mouth but that was totally accidental. Now his dragon wants to kill me! Why the hell do I have to be so loud? _Seeing her life flash before her eyes as Icarus raised a deadly paw, tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you up! Just please don't kill me!" she begged.

The dragon seemed to be having none of it as he brought down his paw with the force to make a T-Rex see stars.

Videl closed her eyes and braced for death. However, it never came. After a few seconds, she opened one eye hesitantly to find Icarus' paw a mere centimeter from her face. The dragon gave her a death glare and growled before he stalked back to his corner, lay down and went back to sleep.

Videl blinked in confusion. _What just happened?_

Right then Gohan walked in, wiping his mouth. Seeing the Satan girl's wet cheeks he immediately rushed to her side. "Are you ok, Videl? Did you hit your head that hard? I'm sorry." he said in concern, thumbing the tears away.

Videl was still too stunned to answer or even blush as his calloused hands roamed her delicate skin._ We have to get out of this cave!_ She looked up at him with wide eyes and was about to spill her guts when the dragon gave her another death glare. _On second thought, I better keep my mouth shut. _"I-I'm fine," Videl stuttered. "S-sorry."

"If you're sure," Gohan said, unconvinced but he didn't want to push her. "Are you still up for training?"

Videl managed a smile. _Anything to get the hell away from this monster. _"You bet!" she chirped.

"Alright," Gohan replied. "I'll head over to the waterfall. You can get changed and meet me over there."

"No!" Videl answered a little too quickly. There was no way she was staying in that cave alone with the dragon. "I'll come with you." She gazed past Gohan to see the dragon raise an eye ridge at her. _Sadistic bastard!_

Gohan looked back at her suspiciously. Something was going on with that girl and he knew it. Taking her by the shoulders, he looked seriously straight into her eyes. "Videl," he said gently. "What's going on?"

Videl refused to meet his gaze. "It's nothing. Don't worry about me," she replied.

"Too late," Gohan responded.

_Damn. He is not taking no for an answer! How stubborn is this kid? Looks like I'm going to have to come up with something convincing. _Sighing, she said, "I just had a dream about the night at the warehouse." Truth be told, the past two nights sleeping in his arms were the only times since the incident that she didn't have a dream about those bastards.

Gohan's face darkened. "I should have killed them all," he whispered in regret.

Videl's eyes widened. _He would really go that far? _

"Of course I would!" Gohan replied, staring deeply into her eyes. "Nobody is allowed to hurt you on my watch!"

Videl's eyes widened. _Did I say that out loud?_ Shaking her head, she smiled up at Gohan. "Thanks," she said sincerely, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Let's get going before it gets too hot."

Gohan nodded and walked with her over to the waterfall, conveniently forgetting to let go of her hand.

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_Erasa and Sharpner…_

"Now, Sharpie," Erasa coached. "Just reach out and touch it. It won't bite." She was holding a butterfly in her palms as the blonde boy shivered in front of her. She had decided it was time for Sharpner to get over his irrational fear of insects and the best way to accomplish this was to let him face his fear head on.

Sharpner looked uncertainly at the creature in his friend's palms. They were seated inside the hut they had made; a cool breeze blew in from the makeshift door as the sky darkened outside. The patches of sunlight peeking through the gathering clouds formed gloomy shadows against the wooden walls of their dwelling, making the tiny creature seem ten times larger. _Come on Sharpner! You can do this! It's just a little bug! It can't hurt you! _After the self-pep talk, Sharpner lifted his left hand slowly and inched it to the purple and yellow winged insect. _It's now or never!_ Closing his eyes tightly, he gently brushed the butterfly's wings with his fingertip. Feeling its soft texture, he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the blonde girl in front of him, beaming with pride."I did it! I guess it's not so bad after all!" he exclaimed.

Erasa smiled back at him as he stroked the insect's wings with more surety. "Do you want to hold him?" she asked.

Sharpner nodded. "Yeah," he whispered back.

Erasa released the creature into the boy's larger hands. She watched him close his palms around the butterfly then open them to allow the insect to fly free. She giggled at the overjoyed expression on her partner's face. Sometimes he was just too darn cute!

Suddenly the little creature flew right back into Sharpner's still-open palms. The blonde boy looked down at the insect curiously. "Did you want to stay with us buddy?" he asked. The butterfly flapped his wings once. "Cool! I'm Sharpner and this is my friend, Erasa!" he introduced. Sharpner made a thoughtful face as he tried to figure out what to call his new friend. "I know! I'll call you, Jingles!"

The butterfly promptly fell on his back before getting up and flapping his wings angrily at the blonde imbecile. "Ok, ok," Sharpner conceded. "We won't go for Jingles. How about Snowflake?"

The butterfly sweatdropped and turned away from the boy. Was this kid crazy? "No? How about Kero?" Sharpner asked.

The butterfly flew out of the boy's hands and made a circle around his head before coming to rest on his shoulder. "Oh, so you like that!" Sharpner said, stroking the butterfly's wings. "I really thought Herman was a better choice but it's your name!"

Kero just facefaulted. He was now positive this kid was on drugs. Oh well, if things got too crazy he could always bail. Flitting off, he landed on Erasa's nose causing the blonde girl to giggle. Well, at least she was cute.

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_Mirai and Lime…_

It was the third day since they had been in the wilderness and Mirai was craving some meat. Yes. It was time for him to go hunting. Against his better judgment, he had allowed Lime to come along. They were now several miles away from their campsite and it made no sense for them to turn back now. The area they were in was densely foliated. Trees towered three hundred feet above them, shrubs picked away at their jeans while plants of all sizes in between littered the landscape. The ground was covered in dead leaves and the only sounds to be heard were the howling wind and the cries of scant flocks of birds as they soared through the forest to some unknown destination.

It had been two hours and so far they hadn't come across so much as a rat. With the loss of his ki sensing capabilities, Mirai had to rely on animal tracks and his astute sense of smell to track the animals. However, the forest was not being very merciful that afternoon. Animal tracks crisscrossed each other in a confusing pattern. The wind seemed to be blowing in every direction at once making it impossible for him to track a scent. To make it worse, he had been discreetly marking the trees around him with his sword and this was the third time he had gone past the sycamore to their left. They were totally and completely lost. The icing on the cake was the low rumble of thunder and the darkening skies above them. So not only were they lost but they were lost in the rain.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Lime asked for the tenth time. Her brow was creased with worry as the first drops of rain escaped the heavy dark clouds above. Something in the pit of her stomach told her he had no idea where he was going, yet she was terrified and still desperate to know the answer for sure.

Mirai could keep up the façade no longer. Cursing silently at the sky, he shook his head silently, feeling awful as his love sagged her shoulders in disappointment. As the rain began to pelt down harder on them, Mirai decided to dwell on her expression no longer. They needed to find shelter, any shelter, and judging from how the wind was picking up, they needed to find it fast.

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Review please?


	20. The Brunt of the Storm Part 1

Hey everyone! I'm back again! Thanks so much for the reviews and keep 'em coming. I don't own DBZ!

**_Last time..._**

_**"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Lime asked for the tenth time. Her brow was creased with worry as the first drops of rain escaped the heavy dark clouds above. Something in the pit of her stomach told her he had no idea where he was going, yet she was terrified and still desperate to know the answer for sure.**_

_**Mirai could keep up the façade no longer. He shook his head silently, feeling awful as his love sagged her shoulders in disappointment. As the rain began to pelt down harder on them, Mirai decided to dwell on her expression no longer. They needed to find shelter, any shelter, and judging from how the wind was picking up, they needed to find it fast.**_

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**The Brunt of the Storm Part 1**

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Lime screamed as a bright flash of lightning briefly blinded her, closely followed by a deafening roll of thunder. Feeling her boyfriend tighten his grip on her hand, she tried to calm down. The auburn-haired girl had been terrified of storms ever since she was a little girl. Up until her thirteenth birthday she had crawled into bed with her parents whenever there was a storm. As she got older, her parents had decided she was too old for that so she would make some excuse to stay at the Son household whenever there was a storm forecasted. There, she would cuddle up with Goten and Gohan as the younger Son child shared her phobia. She didn't really want the Briefs boys to know about her fear so whenever Mirai and Trunks were over, they would have a party of sorts to distract her from what was going on outside. Their attempts weren't always successful and soon the entire group knew of her qualm with Mother Nature. Now she was lost in the middle of nowhere, with her boyfriend who had absolutely no sense of direction, in the middle of one of the worst storms of the year. All she wanted was to curl up under her blankets with said boyfriend and try to go to sleep.

Instead, the two were running through the forest in search of shelter. It had been an hour since the rain had begun falling and by now they had been so thoroughly drenched by the heavy rain that their clothes stuck to them like a second skin, the extra weight slowing them down slightly. The wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped significantly. If they didn't find a place to dry off quickly, they would soon have to deal with hypothermia.

Mirai squinted into the distance. Even with his advanced Saiyan eyesight, he couldn't see further than six feet ahead due to the almost opaque flow of water streaming from the sky. Although it couldn't be later than four in the afternoon, the darkened skies made the damp forest seem like it was way after nightfall. He looked over at Lime, ignoring the water that stung his eyes. She was trembling both from fear and the cold. Stopping, he knelt before her. "Hop on," he said, urging her to get on his back. He was faster and by holding on to him, she would be able to absorb what little of his body heat remained.

Lime did not hesitate. As soon as she was secure, Mirai took off at a faster speed heading in no particular direction. Feeling Lime's breathing even out on his back, he realized she was falling asleep. Knowing it wasn't good for a hypothermic person to fall asleep he shook her awake.

"Come on sweetie, you have to stay up," he said. "Can you do that for me?"

He felt her nod hesitantly in response, still shaking like a leaf on his back. Two minutes later however, he realized she had begun to drift off once again. "I'm really sorry for getting us into this mess, Lime," he said, trying to engage her in conversation. "I really shouldn't have let you come."

He felt her chest move sharply behind him. "L-like y-you would have been able t-to s-s-stop m-me," she responded weakly.

Chuckling pathetically he answered, "I guess I wouldn't have huh?"

"R-remember when w-we emailed that n-nude picture of G-g-gohan to that p-princess?" he felt more than heard her say. Her arms had by now tightened around him as she tried to absorb every bit of warmth his body could provide.

A grim look crossed his face as Mirai's blood ran cold. She was talking like someone on their death bed and it scared him to death. He had finally gained the courage to admit his feelings for her after three long years of pining after her. It would be just plain cruel for her to be taken away from him already. He had no idea what he would do without her. She was just too damn important to him. For a moment he considered pressing the panic button and admitting defeat, however his Saiyan pride and the beating she was sure to give him when they got out of this mess convinced him otherwise. Instead he decided to wait ten more minutes. If by then they found nowhere to dry off, he would give up. He'd rather take a blow to his pride than have his heart cut out from being the cause of her death. Picking up speed, he prayed he would find something soon. However, to keep her talking he responded with a fake laugh, "Yeah! That freaky chick from the Fox Kingdom? Princess Kioko if I remember correctly."

"Y-yeah! T-t-that was her n-n-n-name," Lime answered with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. "R-remember the l-l-look on his-s face when his g-grandpa s-said s-she was coming to visit?"

Mirai actually gave a real smile at the memory. It was the first prank he and Lime had ever pulled on Gohan.

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It was just two weeks after Mirai had returned from the future. He was rather quiet as he still grieved for his dead mother. He was terribly shy around the auburn-haired girl but she refused to let him mope in peace. Gohan had recently lost a bet to the redhead and as a result was to be the victim of a major prank without consequence that could take place at any time within the next year. Lime had been plotting for months but had no idea what to do.

Seeing Mirai yet again sitting in a corner by himself staring out of the window, the auburn-haired girl approached him.

"Hi, Mirai," she said, giving him a huge smile that brought a blush to his cheeks.

"Hey," he replied quietly, still facing the window in an attempt to hide his red cheeks. He internally berated himself at his weakness. After all, what would Vegeta think of him? The short man surprisingly had instantly warmed up to him, treating him no differently than he did the Trunks of the present time. He spent time with him after their daily training sessions talking about his life on Planet Vegeta, the memories he and 'Kakarott' had shared on Frieza's spaceship and even began teaching him the language of his people. He was by no means oversentimental in his stories but yet he told them, encouraging Mirai to tell him about the hell of his own timeline. He was the only one who knew the entire truth of what had happened in the future. The father he had missed out on all of his life was finally within reach and he was determined to stay in his good graces. He was not perfect, but then again, who really was?

Despite this fact, his body refused to comply with his mind's requests. The goddess before him had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen both inside and out. His thoughts were cut short as the girl spoke again, unconsciously tucking a strand of long auburn hair behind her ear. "Could you do me a favor?" she asked, a bit apprehensively.

Mirai actually turned to look at her. What could she possibly want from him? "Sure," he answered.

Sitting next to him, Lime related her story, bringing a smile for the first time in a while to Mirai's face. Looking over at him, she smiled back. "You have a very nice smile, Mirai," she said softly. "You should do it more often."

Her comment only made his cheeks flare all the more. Clearing his throat he returned to the task at hand. "So you want to pull the mother of all pranks on Gohan?" he asked, his voice an octave higher than usual.

Lime giggled and nodded. "Well you're the son of Bulma and Vegeta and the older version of Trunks so I figured you'd be able to think of something." It was true. Bulma's smarts and Vegeta's cunning had come together to create a pranking machine in the form of the then, five-year-old Trunks. Along with four-year-old Goten, he was always getting into trouble with the adults around him.

Mirai smiled again. "I think I can," he answered simply.

Let's just say a week later when Gohan's grandfather announced the deranged princess was coming to visit for an entire month, Gohan had near shit himself. Apparently, waking up two days after the email was sent, tied up naked to a four poster bed while she and her friends tried to 'experiment' with him was too much for the poor boy to handle.

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As his flashback ended, like a godsend, Mirai noticed a rocky crag protruding upwards from the mountain they were currently on. It faced away from the direction of the wind so even if there was no cave inside of it, they could shelter on the other side. On his last leg, the demi-Saiyan ran full-speed to the crag. As he drew nearer, he noticed there was a five foot wide stretch of rock that would lead them to the dry side of the rock. On the other side of the stretch was the sudden drop indicating the edge of a cliff. He assumed the view would have been magnificent on a sunny day. However, he was too busy concentrating on not slipping on the wet rocks; if he did it would be over for them both.

As he predicted, there was no cave, but the crag provided an eight foot by ten foot overhang to shelter them from the storm.

"We're going to have to get you out of these clothes, Lime," he said.

Lime blushed and nodded, barely keeping her eyes open. She tried lifting her shirt over her head but her muscles were too stiff from the cold to accomplish that task.

Seeing her struggling, Mirai, who had by now stripped bare, turned to help her. He was no Son so he did feel a bit uncomfortable standing nude in front of her but his had to be done. He quickly disposed of her clothing, after which he laid her down on a large, smooth, dry rock. He was way too worried to even register what he was looking at anyway. Ignoring the chill he got from the cool night air on his damp, bare skin, He looked around for any dead leaves and sticks that had escaped the sopping weather outside. To his luck he managed to find just enough to start a small fire. Gathering the two piles of clothing he laid each item flat on the ground in hopes that they would be dry by morning. Taking the trembling girl into his arms, he walked near enough to the fire and lay down, spooning her against his body. Finally, out of sheer exhaustion, he joined her in slumber.

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_An hour earlier…_

Gohan smiled as he looked over at Videl as she sat on the ground trying to catch her breath. The girl had managed to float about 10 feet in the air before her energy reserves had finally ran out. Looking at her, he saw how proud she was of herself. Seeing the huge smile on her face as she seemed to stare into space, Gohan grinned deviously to himself, picked her up bridal style, and before she could realize what was happening, dumped her into the lake.

Videl sputtered and rose to the surface. Her black T-shirt was plastered to her skin, her hair was a wet mop and water cascaded down her face in a ridiculous fashion. Gohan laughed loudly at the sight.

Seeing the fun, Icarus came up to them and nudged Gohan in the butt, sending him face-first into the lake. It was Videl's turn to laugh as her friend emerged as soaking wet as she was. Gohan splashed some water in her face trying to get her to stop only for her to return the favor. Soon they ended up in a water fight which eventually escalated into a tickle fight as they came out of the water and chased each other around the meadow. Gohan eventually caught Videl, tackling her to the ground and tickling her mercilessly. A slight clap of thunder resounded through the forest as raindrops began escaping from the clouds above. The soaked teens, however, were too wrapped up in their little war to care.

"Do you give up?" he asked.

"Never!" Videl retorted between giggles.

Gohan didn't let up one bit and soon Videl cried out for mercy. Right then she rolled them over and returned the favor. As Gohan squirmed in laughter they ended up rolling down a small hill with Videl landing on top of Gohan, their faces inches apart.

"Looks like I win," Videl said, calming down her laughter.

Gohan reached up and tucked a wet bang behind Videl's ear and with that action, time seemed to freeze for them both. Gohan stared into her cerulean eyes, taking in her gorgeous face. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. He found himself wondering what it would be like to kiss her.

Internally, he shook his head. Why would a girl like her want a guy like him? He was Son Gohan, the literal freak of nature. He was a hybrid. He neither belonged in the Saiyan world nor the human world. What would she say if she found out what he really was? What would she think if she realized her father was not the one to beat Cell, but it was him instead? He saw the admiration she held for her father. Who was he to take that away from her? Yet she knew he was the Gold Fighter and accepted him for who he was although she didn't know the entire truth. So did that mean there was a chance for them?

Nevertheless, still cupping her cheek, he found himself slowly raising his head at the same time she lowered hers to his face, both their eyes slipping shut. Just as their lips were about to touch, they heard an ear splitting scream resounding through the forest, immediately breaking their trance. Videl quickly rolled off him while Gohan grabbed his sword, called Icarus over and the three of them flew over to the source of the screams.

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	21. The Brunt of the Storm Part 2

Hey everyone! I'm back again with another chappy. Hope you guys enjoy. Thanks again for the reviews! I don't own DBZ.

_**Last Time**_

_**Nevertheless, still cupping her cheek, he found himself slowly raising his head at the same time she lowered hers to his face, both their eyes slipping shut. Just as their lips were about to touch, they heard an ear splitting scream resounding through the forest, immediately breaking their trance. Videl quickly rolled off him while Gohan grabbed his sword, called Icarus over and the three of them flew over to the source of the screams.**_

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**The Brunt of the Storm Part 2  
**

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Icarus landed about two miles to the north of their campsite. Despite the short the distance, the topography of the area was quite different from their campsite. There were a lot more trees here; the thick canopy giving an eerie glow to the damp forest floor. Growing increasingly worried as it began to pour, the two surveyed the land looking for anything out of the ordinary but found nothing. Videl and Gohan quickly jumped off their pet taxi as another desperate scream tore through the air. They darted to their left, Gohan having to use his sword to cut through a thicket of vines. They never expected the horror awaited them on the other side.

The area could only be described as a small warzone. A portable barbeque grill was tossed to the side of a large fire pit; smoke rising from the hot coals as the downpour extinguished what little of the fire remained. The small cans of propane gas were still connected as if in use. Pots and pans were scattered haphazardly around. The tent itself was a mangled mess, with clothes strewn about. Dried blood was splattered on almost everything but what frightened them the most was, in the midst of it all, were several giant two-clawed footprints; ones Gohan immediately knew to be those of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

As the person screamed again, the teenagers were attracted to the mess of the tent that remained. Opening it carefully, they found a small girl no older than four years old, hugging her knees in the middle. Sensing their presence, she looked up, staring back at them with wide, wet, frightened eyes. Had this been any other situation, they would have found her absolutely adorable. She had beautiful, soft, dark hair, large, emerald eyes and fair, smooth skin. However, the absence of any adults and the blood splatter testified to the terrible disaster she had witnessed. The two teenagers looked at each other in amazement. How had she survived this attack unharmed? It was a miracle!

A terrible stench hitting their noses indicated to the teenagers that she had literally soiled herself in fear. However, Gohan ignored the scent and reached out to the child carefully. The girl recoiled away from him and began to cry again. "It's ok, baby," Gohan crooned to her, trying to calm her down. "We're here to help you."

"W-who are you?" she asked in a small voice. "A-are you the police?"

"I'm Gohan and this is my friend, Videl," he responded patiently.

The young girl's eyes lit up as she recognized Videl. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she looked at the young man talking to her. "I know who she is but I don't know you," she said sharply.

Gohan grinned to himself. This little girl was like Videl's mini me. However, he tried not to let his thoughts show. If she was anything like his classmate she would not appreciate humor at the moment. "Actually you do know me but you have to promise not to tell anyone first," he said conspiratorially.

Once again, the girl's eyes widened in anticipation, nodding her head readily. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I'm the Gold Fighter."

She recoiled from him again and whispered harshly, "You don't look like the Gold Fighter!"

Gohan responded, "I know. I change my hair and eyes when I fight crime but I look like this when I'm on vacation. You see, I don't want anyone to find out who I really am. Only Videl and you know, ok?"

The girl seemed to ponder what he said then looked over to Videl for confirmation. Seeing her dark-haired hero nod in agreement, she launched herself into Gohan arms, breaking down in tears as the trauma of the past few days came down on her. Gohan took this all in stride. He began to hum a soothing lullaby and stroke her back. Soon, she calmed down, sucking a chubby thumb into her small mouth. In no time, she had wrapped her tiny arms around his thick neck, half asleep on his shoulder.

Videl looked on in amazement, tears prickling her eyes as she watched her friend interact with the young child. He would definitely make an excellent father one day. Her nose no longer able to tolerate the strong odor from the girl's soiled clothes; Videl peeped into the tent and quickly spotted the girl's bright pink knapsack. Videl reached out and took it, looking for some clean clothes and a blanket. She quickly found both and laid them out, ready to use. Wordlessly she asked Gohan to hand her the child, who had by now fallen asleep. She gave a small whimper of protest at the movement but readily returned to dreamland as Videl laid her down.

They didn't have much time before the storm really hit. The temperature had already dropped and the wind was beginning to pick up. Not one to stand around idly, Gohan picked up his sword. "I'm going to see if anyone managed to survive," he said quietly.

Videl nodded as she quickly changed the little girl's clothes. The chances were almost non-existent that the child's parents would have survived the attack given the amount of blood on the forest floor, but they had to try just in case.

Fifteen minutes later, Gohan returned with a haunted look on his face. They had been too late. He had found two corpses, a man and a woman, and both their bodies and clothing were torn to shreds. Angry bite marks pierced what remained of their skin as maggots seemed to emerge from every orifice. Gohan fought back a gag. Despite his violet childhood, Gohan could never get used to the sight of a dead body, especially that of a person who had died a violent death. What surprised him though was that they would have had to have died at least at least 30 hours ago, if his memory served him correctly, in order for them to show this level of decomposition. At that moment, his heart went out to the child even more than before. She had stayed in that tent with no food, water, or company for nearly two days. No wonder she was so afraid of him. If it were not for the change in wind direction today, her little voice would have never travelled far enough for them to hear her. He hated to think what would have happened to her if she were left out there any longer.

Looking back at Videl, who had already changed the little girl, he said, "They didn't make it." She cursed lowly, but she had to admit there was nothing they could have done about it. "I'll press the button so Bulma can send in the search and rescue team. She might need medical attention," he continued.

"Okay," Videl replied. They would only get a D for this survival trip since it was only Day 3 but this little girl's welfare was way more important than a stupid grade.

Right then, the ground shook and a deafening roar resounded through the air. The girl woke up and started screaming at the top of her lungs, absolutely terrified. Videl fared no better as she trembled, too afraid to move. She could deal with mindless thugs but dinosaurs were way out of her league. Gohan called Icarus over and lifted Videl and the little girl onto the dragon's back, tossing Videl the pink knapsack. Seeing Gohan going off into the forest instead of coming with them, Videl screamed, "Where the hell are you going, Gohan?"

"To kill it," Gohan replied grimly.

"No! Gohan! Didn't you see what it did to those people? It will kill you!" Videl yelled desperately, tears mixing with the heavy rain down her face in fear for her friend. She barely registered that she was about to go off alone with the purple dragon.

Gohan walked over to her and placed a gentle kiss her on the forehead and that of the child. "I'll be right back," he said. Nodding at Icarus, the dragon took off back to their campsite, ignoring the protests of his passengers.

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Making sure his girls were safe, Gohan called out for the Flying Nimbus. In no time, the majestic golden cloud appeared in front of him. Since he was unable to fly and Videl and the kid needed Icarus, he would need Nimbus to help him fight the vicious monster.

He jumped on and in no time they came upon a herd of T-Rex's. Knowing from experience how dangerous these ferocious reptiles were, Gohan wasted no time whipping out his sword and began slaughtering the startled dinosaurs, catching them by surprise. Gohan poured all his anger into his assault. They had killed two innocent people, robbing a little girl of her parents. For that they would pay.

Fifteen minutes later Gohan emerged victorious, back flipping to gracefully land on Nimbus' soft surface. Everything was covered in blood; the ground, his sword, his body and the bodies of reptilian terrorists. Gohan surveyed the damage, a satisfied grin appearing on his face. He had not emerged unscathed; a particularly large dinosaur had swiped him across the chest with his claw and several other small cuts littered his face and the rest of his body. His necklace had also been ripped off during the fight. These however, had no effect on the teen as he regularly sustained worse injuries when sparring with the members of the Z team.

Icarus had returned immediately after dropping off his previous passengers. He sat a few feet away from the battlefield, watching his master with pride. He gave a squeal of approval as Gohan finished off the last one. The rain was now torrential. Angry forks of lightning pierced the sky along with deafening peals of thunder. This washed much of the blood off his body but if still coagulated on his clothes, hair as well as his open wounds.

"Thanks, Nimbus," Gohan said, petting the cloud before jumping onto Icarus' back. "You were a great help today but I think Icarus should be the one to take me back. I really don't feel like answering all of Videl's questions if she sees me riding a golden cloud."

The cloud shrunk in on itself and turned away causing Gohan's eyes to widen.

"No!" he said, shaking his hands wildly in front of him. "I'm not ashamed of you. It's just that I'm not really ready to reveal myself fully to her just yet."

Nimbus turned around and nudged him lightly as if to forgive the young Saiyan.

"We'll always be friends, Nimbus!" Gohan said, waving goodbye to the cloud as they took off in opposite directions.

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Videl was worried sick. What did Gohan think he was doing going after a T-Rex by himself? She knew he was strong but that was just pushing it. How could be so reckless? They could easily trample him to death or gobble him up in one mouthful! Just the thought of it made Videl sick, but until he showed up in front of her, her thoughts wouldn't stop racing.

Her mind had travelled back to their activities before they left the meadow. A blush tinted her cheeks as she realized they really were about to kiss. She was about to kiss Gohan; the boy she had declared her nemesis barely thirty days before. What was worse was that she actually wanted it to happen. Although she had admitted to Erasa that she had a slight crush on him, she had said to herself that she wasn't going to allow anything to happen between them until he had told her everything about himself. Yet despite the fact that he hadn't, she found herself trusting him enough to take that step. Single handedly, that boy had managed to breach all the defenses she had put up and was beginning to worm his way into her heart.

In the time she had been there, Videl had searched through the child's knapsack and found everything was labeled with the name, Kiara. The girl was fast asleep on her blanket on the cave floor so she couldn't ask her. She had already bathed the small child while she slept using a large turtle shell she had found as a small tub and a t-shirt as a washcloth. She had refilled her impromptu basin and brought it up to the cave so they wouldn't have to go back down every single time they needed water.

Hearing the flapping of giant wings outside the cave door, Videl rushed to the opening to find Icarus carrying a bloody, wet, seemingly unconscious Gohan on his back. Her heart jumped into her throat as tears poured down her face. His torn shirt hung uselessly off his frame exposing the deep gashes on his chest. She carefully dragged him off the large dragon and laid him down on the cave floor. He didn't respond to the movement which made her even more afraid.

Sobbing, she leaned her ear close to his face, hoping to feel him breathing and they soon turned to tears of joy as she felt his slow, even breaths. Stripping off his soaked shirt and pants she grabbed the wet cloth she had used to bathe the child, and wiped the blood off him tenderly. _Come on, Gohan. Make a noise, a movement, anything to let me know you're alright. I can't afford to lose you now. You matter way too much to me. You hear me? You matter!_ She shook the boy gently and was shocked when he responded with a deafening snore.

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Review please?


	22. Skeletons In The Closet

Hey. Here's yet another chapter. Thanks a lot for the reviews everyone! I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**Hearing the flapping of giant wings outside the cave door, Videl rushed to the opening to find Icarus carrying a bloody, wet, seemingly unconscious Gohan on his back. Her heart jumped into her throat as tears poured down her face. His torn shirt hung uselessly off his frame exposing the deep gashes on his chest. She carefully dragged him off the large dragon and laid him down on the cave floor. He didn't respond to the movement which made her even more afraid.**_

_**Sobbing, she leaned her ear close to his face, hoping to feel him breathing and they soon turned to tears of joy as she felt his slow, even breaths. Stripping off his soaked shirt and pants she grabbed the wet cloth she had used to bathe the child, and wiped the blood off him tenderly. Come on, Gohan. Make a noise, a movement, anything to let me know you're alright. I can't afford to lose you now. You matter way too much to me. You hear me? You matter! She shook the boy gently and was shocked when he responded with a deafening snore.**_

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__**Skeletons In The Closet...  
**

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Videl pinched herself to make sure what she was seeing was real. Sure enough, it hurt. She looked back at Gohan and saw the boy snoring away, a little drool escaping his lips. In any other situation, she might have found it cute but right now, she was absolutely livid. It was then that she took a closer look at his wound and found it had stopped bleeding and was already beginning to heal. The Satan girl stared at the boy in confusion. How was that possible? She was sure that wound would have needed stitches! The evidence was on his shirt that he had been attacked by a T-Rex no more than twenty minutes before. How could his wounds be healing already?

_Was he faking it? _She froze as the possibility crossed her mind. However her logical side quickly stamped the thought away. In her embarrassingly detailed observations of Gohan's torso, she had never seen those marks before. The paradox nagged at the girl until she could take it no longer. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. _ Well, he's obviously fine so there's no harm in waking him up now is there? _With that thought, Videl slapped the unsuspecting demi-Saiyan across his face as hard as she could, leaving a clearly defined hand print. You can call it a little revenge. He did **not** just make her cry over him when there was nothing wrong with him.

She soon regretted her action as pain laced up her arm. She cradled the injured appendage, ready to give Gohan a tongue lashing, only to find out that the teenage boy did not budge an inch, in fact, he merely turned to his other side and snored all the louder. What was this guy made of? Videl looked on blankly as Kiara yawned and toddled over to him, tucked herself under his arm, and joined him in slumber. Looking over at Icarus for support, she sweat dropped as she found the large dragon curled up in a deep sleep as well. Throwing up her hands in defeat, Videl nestled down next to Gohan for a short nap. After all, it had been a long day for them all.

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"NO!" a male voice screamed causing Erasa and Kero to jump up out of their slumber from their respective corners of their little hut.

With wide eyes Erasa rushed over to Sharpner's side shaking him in order to wake him up. She instantly knew what her blond friend was dreaming about once she saw the tears streaking down the sleeping boy's face. Only one thing would make the Sharpenator react in that way.

"Come on, Sharpie!" she urged, shaking the boy gently. "Wake up!"

At her action, Sharpner's eyes opened and the boy looked around in confusion before they locked on his blonde friend. "She…she…" he said, sounding very much like a lost child.

"I know babe," Erasa said, tears welling in her eyes for her friend. She drew him into a hug just as the boy broke down in tears. She held him tightly to her chest and stroked his hair as he cried, whispering soothing words in his ear. After a while, his shoulders stopped shaking and his sobs subsided.

"I'm s-sorry," he said brokenly. "I-it just seemed so real. Like I was back there again. I-I-"

"Don't apologize, Sharpner," Erasa said, cutting off his apologies. "Do you want to talk about it?" At school, the blond boy would act like he had not a care in the world except for who was going to be his next hot date but both he and Erasa knew that was bullshit.

A look of contemplation crossed the boy's face before he reluctantly conceded. At Erasa's prompt, he lay down on her lap and she played with his hair. He smiled distantly. Erasa was the only one who knew that playing with his hair relaxed him. She was the only one since _her_ that he had even let touch his hair.

Inhaling deeply, the boy began his narration. "Well you know it happened ten years ago. You never met her. She was just so beautiful. She had blond hair, like mine, but other than that I didn't look anything like her. I guess that's maybe why I love my hair so much," he started.

Erasa giggled at his attempt at a joke. She twirled the long strands of hair around her finger, occasionally massaging his scalp. She never tried to push him; she only provided a listening ear and advice if he needed it. She believed that is why Sharpner had never been serious with Videl. She would continually badger him until he spilled his guts without caring that he might be sensitive to the matter. She listened as the boy continued his story, never once interrupting.

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"All strapped in, Sharpie?" a young blonde woman asked as she finished buckling her seat belt. She had beautiful green eyes and a warm smile.

The young boy bounced slightly in his booster seat wearing a 100-watt grin. "Sure thing, mommy!" he replied. They were on their way to Hiroshi Park, the biggest amusement park ever; and they got to stay there for a whole week! His dad was away on a business trip but rather than going home he was going to meet them at their hotel the next day before they went exploring.

The young boy felt safe and happy. He was with his mommy (after all who could touch him with her around); and they were going to have the time of their lives.

As the SUV pulled out of the driveway, Sharpner sat back and glued his eyes to the screen on the back of the front passenger's seat as his mom inserted his favorite DVD. He barely paid attention to the scenery outside as he was absorbed into the cartoon world displayed on the screen.

As the end credits rolled the boy looked outside for the first time since leaving home. The clouds now formed a dark, opaque seal over the expanse of the sky. Lightning flashed with enough intensity and frequency to cause an epileptic seizure. Angry forks of lightning preceded frightening crashes of thunder. Torrential rain poured mercilessly onto the earth below causing Mrs. Pencil to slow her speed to a mere crawl.

"I'm sorry Sharpie, but I don't think we're going anywhere in this weather," the young woman said apologetically. "We're going to have to find a motel and spend the night there.

Sharpner felt disappointed but understood his mother's decision. "We're still going to get to go tomorrow, right?" he asked hopefully.

His mother smiled back at him. "Sure!" she agreed.

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"It never happened," Sharpner lamented. "In the time it took for her to look back at me and utter that _one_ syllable, some asshole driving a semi on the wrong side of the road comes crashing through the front of our car. All I remember seeing was headlights before it all went black."

Erasa covered her mouth in shock. She had known Sharpner's mother had died in a car accident but she had no idea that the boy was in the vehicle with her when it happened. She didn't have much time to ponder this as he continued his tale.

"I woke up two weeks later, hurting like hell," he said. "The first thing I remember asking was 'where was my mother?'" The boy shook his head in grief. "They told me that- that both she and driver died on impact and that I was lucky to be alive but all I could think was that I should have died too. I have to say, for a while after I tried to die."

Erasa could not suppress her gasp this time. She had never thought her friend had such morbid thoughts; and at eight years old? She knew the boy had problems, mostly economical, as neither he nor his dad was able to hold down a steady job. Nevertheless, the boy never mentioned suicide.

"My dad was there at my bedside the entire time. I feel terrible about it now, but at the time I didn't even acknowledge his presence. I know it hurt him bad. I was the only thing he had left and I pushed him away. I actually wanted to leave him, although he had been nothing but supportive.I think that's why he went downhill after she passed. And I only made it worse," Sharpner said, his voice full of self-loathing. "He refused to let them bury my mother until I woke up. He-he knew I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to her so-so he wanted to give me that opportunity."

Erasa's heart went out to the boy now more than ever. She now understood the depth of the bod Sharpner shared with his father. The two were like best friends and, with the exception of the hair looked like clones of each other. Sharpner had begun crying again and this time she joined him silently. He wrapped his arms around her waist from his position, hiding his face against her stomach.

"T-they cut off all my hair so that they could make an incision to relieve the pressure in my brain." Sharpner continued. "When I went back to school, kids teased me so much about my bald head that I swore I'd never cut my hair again. It was the only thing my mom passed down to me so I wanted to treasure it."

The two lay in silence for a while as they tried to sort out their whirling emotions. Sharpner was the first to break their silence. "So that's my story. Beautiful isn't it?" he said chuckling pathetically. He looked up at her for the first time since he began his story and was alarmed when he saw the tears streaming silently down her cheeks. He knew Erasa cried at every romantic or slightly sad scene on television but for some reason he had never thought that his real-life trauma would have this much of an effect on her. "Hey," he said softly wiping the tears from her eyes. "Don't cry, 'Rase. You're supposed to be my anchor."

Erasa giggled at his words. She was his anchor both euphemistically and literally. In the fourth grade, they had a school play in which Sharpner played a tugboat and Erasa played his anchor. It was that play that had sparked their friendship.

It was Sharpner's turn to chuckle as Kero landed on his nose. "Hey, buddy. Didn't mean to weigh you down with all my problems."

Kero just flew a circle around the boy's head and landed back in his corner. Clearly, he was ready to get back to bed.

"Thanks for listening, 'Rase," Sharpner said. "It really helped a lot."

"Any time Sharpie," Erasa responded.

"We should get back to bed," Sharpner said getting off Erasa's lap. He extended his hand to help his friend up. As Erasa took his hand, Sharpner yanked a little took hard, causing the blonde girl to fall against his hard chest.

"Sorry about that," Sharpner apologized.

Erasa took a step back and grinned. "It's ok. Looks like somebody's getting stronger. Those hard days with Gohan are really paying off aren't they?"

"Yeah," Sharpner responded, blushing slightly.

The two stood in an awkward silence for a minute before Erasa broke it. "So goodnight?" she said.

"Night," Sharpner responded, moving to kiss her cheek as he always did. What he didn't expect was that she would be doing the same. Their noses collided gently causing the two to giggle at their silliness. They were still nose to nose; close enough to feel the others' breath on their skin. It was then, as their laughter subsided, that blue met blue.

Sharpner blushed as he _really_ studied Erasa's face for the first time. He had known her since the fourth grade and had always known she was beautiful; however it was then he began to notice just _how_ stunning she was. She was beautiful both inside and out. He realized that, other than his father, she was the only one he could really trust with his deepest secrets and despite her reputation as the school gossip, knew she would take his secrets to her grave. She was the only person who he let see him cry. Not even his father had that privilege. She was loyal both to him and Videl; listening to whatever they had to say, yet she was never judgmental. She was a lot smarter than people gave her credit for. When they were younger and she'd said that she wanted to become a psychologist, he had laughed thinking she wasn't serious. Now, he could say she had been his free therapist for years now. How could he have had this beautiful, amazing woman right under his nose and fail to acknowledge her? The more he thought about Erasa, the more he realized he wanted, no, _needed_ to have her in his life always. He was in love with her.

The boy inhaled sharply as he made that realization. He never thought he would fall in love and so, he never thought it would be while he was still this young. To his surprise, he found that he didn't care about getting all the girls he could into bed with him anymore. They were all just one night stands and he needed something stable. It was then he promised he would never again hit on another woman. Erasa was the one for him. Despite what many would think, Sharpner felt nothing for Videl anymore. When he had first moved to Orange Star City nine years ago, he had been smitten by her, now he saw her as nothing more than a friend. He hit on her more for tradition's sake than anything else.

Her lips were so close. He thought about kissing them but immediately, a shyness Sharpner had not felt since his first day of preschool crept up on him. The sensation surprised him so much that he ended up giving the blonde girl a quick hug instead, his cheeks flaming embarrassingly the entire time. _Am I turning into Brains or something? _Almost in a daze they went off to their corners and fell into a slumber, dreaming of their new-found crush.

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I think it was time I wrote a S/E centric chapter. Seems like nobody cares about them except for a few cheap laughs ne? Anyway, I hope you liked it. Thanks for visiting and drop a review on your way out!


	23. Back Against The Wall

Hi everyone! I just wanted to say thanks again for all the reviews. I've decided to ensure that I write at least one chapter a week. So here's me living up to that promise. As always, I don't own DBZ.

**_Last time..._**

_**Her lips were so close. He thought about kissing them but immediately, a shyness Shaprner had not felt since his first day of preschool crept up on him. The sensation surprised him so much that he ended up giving the blonde girl a quick hug instead, his cheeks flaming embarrassingly the entire time. Am I turning into Brains or something? Almost in a daze they went off to their corners and fell into a slumber, dreaming of their newfound crush.**_

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__**Back Against The Wall...  
**

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Gohan, Icarus and Videl awoke as they heard someone clear their throat loudly. They looked up to find Vegeta smirking down at them. The storm was over now, leaving the forest cool, damp and relatively silent.

"You rang?" he asked smugly. "I thought after all the survival training you were put through; this would be a walk in the park for you. You really are getting weak."

Gohan stretched, for the first time noticing the little girl curled up on his arm. He looked up at the older man grimly. "It wasn't surviving that was the problem. We found this little girl and the bodies of her parents about a mile upstream," he answered, indicating to the child. "They ran into a herd of T-Rex."

"And she escaped unharmed?" Vegeta asked in amazement.

"Yeah, she's a lucky little thing. She didn't look like there was anything wrong with her but we wanted to get her checked out just in case. After all, she was out there for at least two days," Gohan replied.

Vegeta nodded. "Come on. Let's go!" he said.

Gohan picked up the little girl and was about to follow Vegeta when Videl spoke up. "Not so fast! Give Kiara to Vegeta and let _him _take her. We have to talk!"

"Kiara?" Gohan asked, confused as he deposited the sleeping child into Vegeta's unsuspecting arms.

The man looked up in protest but was ignored by the teenagers. Shrugging he went down to the paramedics. The brat and his mate clearly had some issues they needed to work out.

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"Yes that's her name," Videl said in aggravation. "But never mind that! You have some explaining to do!"

"Explaining? About what?" Gohan asked, genuinely confused.

Videl looked at him in disbelief, her mouth opening and closing like a fish before her mind could clearly summarize what she was thinking. "How about why you just left me here to go fight a bunch of T-Rex all by yourself? I know you're the Gold Fighter or whatever but you're still human!"

Gohan mentally corrected her but said nothing. By now the girl had begun to pace, wearing away a ditch in the cave floor.

"And-and then you come back covered in blood with this massive… gash on your chest that somehow healed itself in twenty minutes? And I'm- I'm worried sick about you only to find out you've gone to sleep! Just how the hell do you expect me to feel about that?" she continued, turning away from him so he couldn't see the tears that had begun to fall from her blue eyes.

Gohan instantly felt terrible. Growing up the way he had no idea that Videl would react to what he did in this way. He kicked himself internally. He had to remember that most teenagers, if not all, led a very sheltered life compared to him. He had scared the poor girl half to death without giving it a second thought. As he tried to formulate an apology, Videl whirled around exposing her tear streaked face. Seeing her cry was making him feel a million times worse. After their falling out at the house, Gohan had promised himself that he would never make her cry again. Now barely a week later he had managed to break his promise.

"Then- then you almost… kiss me…then act like it never happened! That's it Gohan! I'm tired of waiting! I want to now what's the deal with you and I want to know now! No more of your bullshit!" Videl continued.

Gohan looked down at the dusty floor. Never had anyone managed to make him feel as guilty as Videl did in that moment. She was right. She deserved to know the truth. She probably might hate him for it, but that didn't mean she should be lied to anymore. Kami knows most of her life was built on a lie. Inhaling deeply, Gohan approached her slowly.

"Videl," he spoke in a low voice, his eyes still finding pattern in the loose rocks. "I can't tell you how sorry I am for everything. I just wasn't thinking." He looked up meeting her eyes, letting her see the pain inside him. "It's just that I-" he continued, transforming into a Super Saiyan. "This is not normal… and no matter how hard I try… I never will be."

Videl gasped as she saw the transformation occurring before her eyes for the first time. He was like an angel of light; beautiful but also deadly. Despite herself, she walked even closer to him until barely an inch separated their torsos. She reached up and touched a spiky lock, surprised at its soft texture. Comfortable warmth emanated from his body, making her never want to let go. She had never really thanked the Gold Fighter for saving her life. Now was her chance.

Gohan closed his eyes as Videl traced the contours of his face. His breath hitched as she traced his lips. He opened his eyes only to find Videl's closed, her lips aiming for his own. Although he desperately wanted to feel her lips on his, he turned his face so she kissed his cheek instead.

The girl opened her eyes in confusion but as she was about to protest, he silenced her with a finger to her lips. "I want to. I really want to, more than anything right now." Gohan tried to explain. Shaking his head he started over. "Look, I don't want to know what it feels like until you know everything. Then you can decide whether you really want to have anything to do with me."

Videl still looked at him confused at this turn of events. What could Gohan possibly have to hide that it seemed like their entire relationship (whatever it was at this point) hung on this untold truth? Still she thanked him for giving her that opportunity to decide once she had all the facts. She had been waiting too long to kiss him and it would completely destroy her if she would come to regret it if his secrets were more than she could bear. She nodded and looked at him expectantly. "Well…" she asked.

Gohan looked embarrassed for a second reverting to his normal form. "It's a very long story. So how about we go check on Kiara and before bed I'll tell you everything. No bullshit," he proposed.

Videl looked upset for a moment but accepted. She grinned at him when a perplexed expression crossed his face. "Chill out, Gohan," she said trying to lighten the mood.

Gohan barely managed a smile before leading the way out of the cave.

_That serious, huh?_ Videl thought before following him, trying to ignore the terrifying knot that had suddenly formed in the pit of her stomach. She was suddenly unsure whether she wanted to know the real Gohan or if she preferred the mirage. All she knew was that she didn't want to lose him.

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Vegeta looked down at the sleeping child in his arms. He gave a little smirk, admiring the resilience of the child. She had managed to survive two days in the wilderness without food or water, knowing well enough when to keep silent and when to call for help. If she hadn't done so in perfect timing those T-Rex would have come back for her. He inwardly smiled at the notion that _his_ little princess was going to be cuter, stronger _and_ smarter than this brat. After all, she had the Prince of all Saiyans for a father and the Capsule Corps genius heiress for a mother. Yes, Bulma was pregnant again. Pity she had no idea. Vegeta first sensed it a month ago; about a week after her conception. Judging from how long it took her to figure out that she was pregnant with Trunks, it may take another month or so before she finally caught on. For a genius, sometimes she was terribly slow.

A deep rumble echoed in the short man's chest as he imagined the woman in her lab desperately trying to figure out what had given her food poisoning for two months. He soon came to regret his action as the child woke up, revealing beautiful emerald irises.

"Who are you and where are you taking me?" the girl asked in a hostile tone.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at the child. "I'm taking you to the doctor," he answered simply.

"You didn't completely answer my question," the girl responded icily.

Vegeta chuckled. This girl sure had a fighting spirit. On reflex, he checked her ki. His eyes widened at how high it was. It was pathetically weak in comparison to the Saiyans but it was about half that of Kakabrat's mate! Incredible! This brat had potential! He was jarred out of his thoughts when he felt a tiny jab on his chest.

"I'm talking to you Mr.! Who are you?" the child insisted. "Are you one of those child molesters?"

Vegeta frowned. Was this half pint seriously calling him a pedo? "Do I look like a child molester to you?" he answered tiredly as he laid her down on the provided stretcher.

The girl cocked her head to the side and studied the man's face. She was silent for a moment before her eyes narrowed. "With_ that_ hair? For sure!" she responded. And that was when the screaming began.

Gohan and Videl crossed over into the meadow only to find Kiara screaming and thrashing about on the stretcher. Nothing the paramedics could do would calm her down. Gohan quickly came over and held her on his lap so that the paramedics could finish their job.

"What's wrong sweetie?" he asked.

The girl pointed over at Vegeta. "He-he's a child molester! Don't you see his hair?" she screamed hiding her face in Gohan's chest.

Gohan looked up at Vegeta's horrified face before he collapsed in a fit of laughter. His laughter came even harder as Vegeta flipped him off then walked away, muttering to himself. Looking down at the child, he said, "Kiara, he's not a child molester. That's my dad's friend, Vegeta. I know he looks like one but I promise you he isn't."

"Cross your heart?" the little girl asked peering hesitantly at the man.

"Hope to die," Gohan responded.

"She seems to be fine," a tall, blonde paramedic said, interrupting the sweet moment. Her blue shirt had the top four buttons undone, revealing her ample cleavage. The loose pants she should be wearing were replaced with skin tight white jeans, displaying her every curve. "Do you need a checkup as well?" she said, seductively, eying Gohan's muscular frame.

Videl felt a pang of jealously run through her. But why should she be jealous? It's not like she and Gohan were together or anything. _Well not officially…_Videl shook her head. _No! Bad Videl!_ Sure he was hot as hell, sweet, strong and a perfect gentleman but she still didn't know him well enough, and until then she couldn't trust him with her heart. Well, that would change that very night.

Gohan squirmed and looked over to Videl for help. Deciding to have a little fun, Videl sauntered over to them and put on a sexy grin. She wrapped her arms around Gohan's bare torso, feeling the hard muscle beneath his skin. "Sorry sweetie. He's taken," she said, winking at her.

The teenage boy flushed as he felt Videl's hands on him and her soft breasts on his back. He was finally seeing the feminine, seductive side of Videl again and he liked it…a lot! The thought that she was so fiery but could be so sensual was a huge turn on for him. As her hands kneaded his stomach, he bit back a moan of pleasure.

He was brought back to reality as the blonde replied saucily, "Somehow I doubt that! He's blushing like a virgin!"

Videl didn't know quite how to respond. It was true that she was a virgin since her dad wouldn't let any guy but Sharpner within fifty feet of her but she wasn't so sure about Gohan. It was like he had a split personality. It seemed like his modesty was about the same level as a two-year-old but after seeing that painting in his house, she knew he could be drop dead sexy as well. Maybe he was innocent on the street but an animal in bed. Fortunately he saved her from answering.

"That's because we agreed that there weren't going to be any public displays of affection," he said, smirking as he leaned into Videl.

The blonde frowned. "So you're ashamed of her aren't you? Why would you even want a stumpy tomboy like her when you can have all of this!" she said, gesturing at her bosom.

"Sorry, I like them real. Silicone just doesn't cut it," Gohan replied, giving a fake smile.

The blonde sniffed and turned away. No one ever turned her down but now she got turned down twice in less than half an hour! She thought the older man, Vegeta, was quite a catch but he refused to even look at her! Was she losing her touch? Huffing she turned away and walked back to the emergency vehicle, ignoring the jeers of her coworkers. One day, she would be the trophy wife of a billionaire and would be living in the lap of luxury while they slaved away the rest of their days. One day, she'll show them all!

All the while, Vegeta looked on, an amused smirk on his face. It was official. The brat had finally found his mate and she just so happened to be the daughter of that imbecile, Hercule. How ironic! He watched for a while, as the two held onto each other even though the tramp had already left, before he took out the cell phone Bulma had given him for this purpose. Of course he could always just speak to her through their bond but she insisted he carry it since the notion of a telepathic connection was too much for the pathetic humans to wrap their tiny minds around. Dialing the only number saved in the phone, he waited for the woman to pick up. The things he did for her…

"Hello?" he heard her answer.

"Bulma," he said. "The brat and his mate found another little brat in the woods. Her parents are dead."

"Oh my! What happened?" Bulma asked in shock, missing the mate comment.

"T-Rex," Vegeta replied.

"Is she OK?" Bulma inquired, worried for the little orphan.

"The medical personnel checked her out and said she was fine," Vegeta said, sending his mate a mental picture of the little girl as they switched to a mental conversation.

"Oh! She's absolutely adorable!" Bulma gushed. Her voice then became pleading. "I want a baby girl too, Veggie."

Vegeta rolled his eyes at the hated nickname but shrugged it off. "Are you sure? This one had the nerve to call me a child molester!" He growled as a fit of laughter came through both the phone and his mind. And here he thought she would be supportive. In an effort to change the subject he added, "Anyway, very soon you will."

"Do you really mean it?" Bulma asked in astonished excitement.

"Yes. You're about 5 weeks along," Vegeta replied with pride. He didn't say it very often but he loved his wife to death and nothing made him happier than knowing she was carrying his child. He too, secretly wanted a little girl.

Turning back to the problem at hand, Vegeta spoke, "So what are we going to do about the smallest brat?"

"Well, I can get a search done for any relatives and I'll send the mortician to collect the bodies. I think, since she's OK, Gohan and Videl can keep her with them until the trip is over or until I find her family," Bulma replied. She definitely did not want to send the teenagers home with a bad grade and face the wrath of Chi Chi.

"Alright then," Vegeta said before hanging up.

He turned to find the two teenagers, on the ground, playing with the little girl. "Well, the woman said the young brat is staying with you two brats until she could find her family," he said before walking off into the woods, not giving them a spare glance. He smirked evilly. He knew from experience how difficult it was to take care of a toddler. It was going to be fun watching the two brats go through it without any help.

Gohan and Videl stared at each other, then at the little girl who sat, blinking her long eyelashes innocently up at them. What were they going to do with a child for five days?

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Review please?


	24. Confessions of a Teenage Saiyan

Hey everyone. Thanks so much for the reviews. I Hope you guys had a great week! Here's your promised chapter. I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**He turned to find the two teenagers, on the ground, playing with the little girl. "Well, the woman said the young brat is staying with you two brats until she could find her family," he said before walking off into the woods, not giving them a spare glance. He smirked evilly. He knew from experience how difficult it was to take care of a toddler. It was going to be fun watching the two brats go through it without any help.**_

_**Gohan and Videl stared at each other, then at the little girl who sat, blinking her long eyelashes innocently up at them. What were they going to do with a child for five days?**_

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__**Confessions of a Teenage Saiyan  
**

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Gohan sighed as Kiara finally fell asleep in his arms. The little girl had many questions for them but surprisingly, she never asked about her parents. After pleading with the chatty girl for a while, she finally agreed to go to sleep, provided that Gohan lay next to her. Gently, he extricated himself from the tangle of tiny legs and arms and inhaled deeply, in preparation for facing one of his worst fears. He was about to tell the girl he loved everything about his life and pray to Kami that she would stick around even long enough for him to finish his story.

He looked over at Videl who had already climbed into their large sleeping bag and was looking at him expectantly. He gave a grim smile at her eager face. He could bet the magnitude of his big secret had never crossed her mind. Sighing heavily once more he sat at the foot of the sleeping bag, giving her enough room in case she wanted to run away.

"Well," he said. "I'm going to tell you the story of my life. Some things you hear are going to sound impossible but I promise that it is all true. Please just listen and don't interrupt me."

Videl nodded in impatience. _When will he cut the drama and tell the story already?_

Taking a deep breath Gohan began his tale. "Well I was born to Son ChiChi and Son Goku eighteen years ago. My dad was the newest World Martial Arts Tournament winner and my mom was the princess of the Ox Kingdom. As a result, I was introduced to the world of politics and of martial arts at a very early age. Up until I was four, was the closest I ever got to being normal. The only differences were that I was quite strong for my age, I was doing high school algebra and I had a monkey tail."

Videl opened her mouth to protest but was silenced as she saw the warning glint in her friend's eye. _Monkey tail?_ _Well that definitely sounds impossible._

"My mom hated the thought of me fighting so she refused to teach me any martial arts and forbid my father from doing so. Instead she forced me to study books in hopes that I would become a scholar and an educated successor to the throne. My father had not seen his tournament buddies since his marriage to my mom so when he got a phone call saying they were all going to meet at Kame Island, he was happy to go along," Gohan continued.

Videl considered this new information. _Well the only weird things so far are his monkey tail and his mom's crazy overprotectiveness._

"I guess I should tell you about them. First there was Bulma Briefs. She met my dad when they were kids while she was on an adventure looking for dragon balls," Gohan went on. Anticipating the question, he added, "Dragon balls are seven mystical spheres each with a different number of stars in them. When they are brought together, a dragon is summoned which can grant you any two wishes. After you use them, they are scattered around the Earth where they look like regular rocks until a year has passed."

Videl nodded. The tattoo on his back now made sense to her. As to _how_ an entire dragon managed to appear out of seven balls, she had no idea, but was willing to take his word for it. At least for now.

"Anyway there was Yamcha Plate. He had been a desert bandit and was terrified of girls. He and Bulma actually dated while they were teenagers," Gohan added.

Videl's jaw dropped. She had never been much for celebrity gossip but she had had no idea that Yamcha and Bulma were together at any point in time. It made her wonder why she would leave such a nice guy for Mr. Grumpy Frohawk.

"There was also Krillen Chestnut. He had trained with my dad under the same master while they were still children. There was also Tienshinhan, and Chaoutzu, Master Roshi, my dad's master, Oolong and I think that was about it," Gohan continued.

Videl wasn't sure her eyes could widen much more without falling out of their sockets. Gohan had just named nearly all the greatest martial artists except for her father. This boy certainly had connections! It's no wonder she was so weak compared to him.

"Well anyway, dad was introducing me to his friends and we were having a pretty good time until someone crashed our party. There was this tall man with waist length spiky hair, a monkey tail and a strange device over his eye, claiming to be my father's brother. I probably should tell you that my dad up to this point had no memory of his life before he was twelve. An old man named Gohan found him alone in the woods, not even knowing his own name. He named him Goku and dad named me after him."

Videl nodded in understanding. She had no idea the legendary Son Goku suffered memory lapses. It was nice of him to name his firstborn after the man who took him in though.

"Anyway, the guy called my father Kakarott. When he realized my father knew nothing about his past, he revealed to him that he was not human at all. He was a Saiyan, one of the few left of the planet Vegeta after its destruction about 15 years before and demanded that he come along with him. My dad refused so the guy grabbed me and gave my dad an ultimatum: either he killed 100 humans or I would die."

Videl could not contain her gasp at this. How could anyone do such a thing? And place a four-year-old in the midst of it all! _Wait? Did he just say that his dad wasn't human? There's got to be some kind of mistake! Aliens don't exist!_ _ But then again, how is it that only him and some of the people around him can do the Gold Fighter transformation? So that ancient warrior clan he mentioned is actually alien?  
_

Seeing her reaction, Gohan said with his eyes looking straight at hers, "Yeah, I know it's weird but just hear me out."

Videl nodded in response. She would wait around to see where this was going.

"I was scared out of my mind at the time. My uncle flew away with me and locked me in his space pod. Anyway my dad and his rival, Piccolo teamed up to try and save me without killing all those people. Radditz, my uncle, eventually overpowered them and was beating my dad to a bloody pulp right in front of me. I was terrified but also angry. Somehow, despite having no prior training, I managed to break out of the locked space pod and head-butted Radditz in the chest, cracking his armor. I passed out right after that but woke up only to find both my dad and Radditz were dead. My dad had sacrificed himself to save me," Gohan said sadly.

Videl looked at him sympathetically. How could he still be so cheerful when he'd gone through all of that at such a young age? Her eyes suddenly narrowed. Did he just say that _both _Radditz and his father died that day? How was it that he was still alive? They just saw him five days ago. She really wanted to see how he explained his way out of this one.

"Anyway, we also found out that before he died, Radditz sent a transmission out to his colleagues and they would arrive the next year. Piccolo, although he was my dad's rival saw the potential in me to become a great warrior, so he kidnapped me right after the incident. I didn't even get to go and see my mother. I was a crybaby at the time, so I was screaming my head off the entire time. He decided I needed to toughen up so he made me a sword, dropped me off, deep in the wilderness and told me to survive. I was there for six months alone."

Videl looked appalled. Gohan had told her earlier that his first master had given him his first sword and taught him how to fly by throwing him at a mountain. But leaving a four year old to survive in the wilderness alone for half a year was just brutal! She definitely didn't blame ChiChi for wanting to keep Gohan at home anymore. If she were her, she wouldn't let him out of her sight!

"It was tough, but I did learn to become more independent. Six months later he showed up and decided it was time for him to start training me. After teaching me the basics, we moved on to ki training where he tossed me into a mountain to force me to bring out my ki. He taught me how to develop my own energy attacks. I know he sounds like a total bully to you, but he softened up over the time we spent together. I saw him as a second father. I later found out that all that time I spent alone, he had been watching over me to make sure I was ok."

Videl considered this new piece of information. She forgave Piccolo, well, a tiny bit. That didn't mean she would let her kid anywhere near him though.

"Anyway, soon enough the year passed and the other Saiyans arrived right on schedule. In order to lure us out, they began killing people at random, destroying an entire city." Gohan said.

Videl gasped again. She vaguely remembered a news broadcast where a whole city was destroyed by aliens. As she was so young, her mother had immediately sent her out of the room as she deemed the violence was too much for a five year old. As she heard about it later, she thought the news anchors were exaggerating in order for them to sell their story. After all, aliens didn't exist. Now she wasn't so sure. There was a boy, one she so happened to like very much, sitting in front of her, telling her he was half-alien. She didn't know whether the worst part was that she believed him or that it looked like his story was just beginning.

"One of the Saiyans was Nappa and the other was named Vegeta," Gohan said. As her eyes flew to his, he continued. "Yes, it was Bulma's husband."

Videl just sat there, staring at him as he recounted his entire tale. How his father had miraculously returned to life. How Vegeta had ruthlessly killed his partner for being too weak and their trip to Namek and subsequent battle with Frieza. His dad regaining his memory and the mental breakdown he suffered which allowed him to transform into a Super Saiyan for the first time. His defeat and what was believed to be his death on Planet Namek and Vegeta's loyalty switch. The boy from the future claiming to be Bulma and Vegeta's son and the warning about the androids. Their preparation and subsequent battle with Cell in which his father died _yet again. _Her brain practically shut off once she heard that _he_, the boy she was almost sure she was in love with, defeated that monster and _not _her father.

Videl slumped back against the cave wall. For the rest of his tale, his voice seemed a million miles away. His father's return to life once again. The development of his friendship with Lime and Goten's birth. Mirai's return from the future. All of it seemed of little significance compared to the bombshell the boy had just dropped on her.

It took him three hours to tell his life story and by the end of it, Videl's head was hurting in every possible way. Despite all the seemingly impossible events he had told her about, she believed them all. The disbelief on her face lay not in the story itself but how her father could feel comfortable lying to her for all these years. She understood that Gohan and his friends didn't mind as they preferred someone human to take credit so that no one would bother them, but the least Hercule could do was tell her. How could he lie to his own daughter?

Gohan had his eyes, glued to the floor of the cave as he finished his story, terrified of seeing her reaction. After hearing complete silence from her, he snuck a peak at her face. He gasped as he saw the silent tears running down her cheeks and rushed to comfort her. She launched herself into his arms and cried her heart out.

"Why didn't he tell me?" she asked Gohan brokenly.

Gohan was at a loss for words. He knew exactly why Hercule didn't tell Videl that he had stolen credit for the deafeat of Cell from an eleven year old boy who had just lost his father. It would damage his reputation and that faith his daughter had in him would be gone in an instant. Wisely, he chose not to say anything. Instead he just held the girl, running his fingers through her long, dark locks.

He really wanted to know what she thought of him now that she knew everything. But he did realize that he had practically destroyed her perception of the world in a few short sentences. Instead, he got under the covers with her, held her against his chest, and stroked her back until she fell asleep. He could wait.

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Thanks for reading. If I got anything wrong please forgive me. The last time I watched DBZ was ten years ago.

Review please?


	25. Desires of the Heart

Hello, everyone. I know I've been MIA for a couple weeks (combination between schoolwork and writer's block). However, I forced myself to crank this out today. It's my birthday and so I decided to give this as a gift to you. I really hope you like it! ^_^. I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**"Why didn't he tell me?" she asked Gohan brokenly.**_

_**Gohan was at a loss for words. He knew exactly why Hercule didn't tell Videl that he had stolen credit for the defeat of Cell from an eleven year old boy who had just lost his father. It would damage his reputation and that faith his daughter had in him would be gone in an instant. Wisely, he chose not to say anything. Instead he just held the girl, running his fingers through her long, dark locks.**_

_**He really wanted to know what she thought of him now that she knew everything. But he did realize that he had practically destroyed her perception of the world in a few short sentences. Instead, he got under the covers with her, held her against his chest, and stroked her back until she fell asleep. He could wait.**_

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_****_**Desires of the Heart...  
**

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Early the next morning, Lime's eyes opened but quickly shut as harsh sunlight assaulted her pupils. She groaned as her muscles ached with the small effort. _What exactly happened last night?_ All she could remember was being cold; really cold. Squinting, she tried again, looking the other way at the unfamiliar surroundings. All she could see around her were small rocks and dirt. She carefully chanced a glance towards the light and was amazed to see the beautiful view. She knew she was at a pretty high elevation, judging from the bird's-eye view of the forest. But where exactly was she, she had no idea.

She felt an arm snake around her waist and jumped to look at the person behind her. She visibly relaxed once she realized it was Mirai. Still tired and very sore, she snuggled into his arms, welcoming the warmth his body provided. Still feeling rather chilly, she turned in his arms to face him tucking her head under his chin. She blushed slightly as her fingers roamed the muscles of his bare chest. She stuck her bare feet in between his legs, trying to get as much warmth as she could out of her boyfriend. Just as she was about to drift into dreamland, she felt a small jolt of pleasure.

Cracking one eye open, she saw that Mirai's arm had moved and had brushed against her bare nipples, causing them to harden. She jumped as the action registered. _Oh my Kami! Oh my Kami! Oh my Kami! Why am I topless?_ Hesitantly she looked down and realized the rest of her clothes were missing too!_ Crap! Why am I naked?_ Fearing the worst, she looked over at Mirai and realized that he too was nude. She blushed hotly as her eyes roamed his bare frame. Unlike with Gohan who didn't care who saw him in a state of undress, she had never seen Mirai naked in the three years she had known him. Bulma and ChiChi had often told her that the Saiyans were well-endowed. She, herself saw the proof on Gohan way too often, yet the size of Mirai's manhood surprised her. She could help but feel a little nervous. _Oh my Kami, if that what it looks like now, how big does it get when it's hard?_

Shaking off her sudden apprehension, Lime steeled her resolve. Now she _really_ needed to know what happened last night. She realized she felt no pain between her legs so she assumed they didn't have sex. Taking another quick glance at her surroundings, she realized they were in a tiny cave. They were not lying on a blanket as she had assumed, but a patch of soft dirt. Noticing their clothes were spread flat on the ground, she was sure they didn't have sex. There was no way they would have been neatly spreading out their clothes. Yet none of the previous night's activities resurfaced in her memory. Why was it that that all she could remember was feeling cold?

Realizing she was getting nowhere, Lime decided to go straight to the source. Feeling a bit self-conscious, she tried to retrieve her clothes. However, Mirai was having none of it. He pulled her tighter against his body causing their bodies to brush intimately. Lime's cheeks now resembled a fire truck. _Well I guess there's no way to avoid this. I could either lie here until he wakes up and have awkward moment later or wake him up and have awkward moment now. _Giving one last sigh, she thought, '_Might as well get it over cool, Lime.' _

She shook Mirai's shoulder but got no response. Sighing, she resorted to the one way she knew would wake any Saiyan from the dead. "Mirai, wake up! Breakfast is ready!" she said into his ear. Like magic, Mirai's eyes instantly opened as he searched wildly for the desired food. As his vision focused, he noticed Lime inches away from his face, looking at him. A lazy smile crossed his features. "Good morning, beautiful," he whispered before leaning over and giving her a soft kiss.

Lime smiled happily, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers. She realized he hadn't noticed their condition but she knew that wouldn't last long. "Good morning. Mind letting me go?" Lime whispered as they broke the kiss.

Mirai looked down and saw his arm tightly coiled around her waist, but not before he caught sight of her naked breasts. They were larger than he expected but perfectly shaped. Her dusky nipples hardened from the cool breeze. Blood rushed to both his face and his groin as his brain documented the picture. No doubt this image would be coming back to haunt him in the very near future. Realizing he was staring, Mirai shyly took a glance at Lime's embarrassed, yet slightly pissed off face.

"Um… I…uh…Lime…erm…" Mirai stuttered pathetically, his voice an octave higher than usual as his eyes darted between her eyes and her breasts. He stopped his useless routine as he noticed Lime's arched brow. Following her gaze, he noticed his not-so-little man was already at half mast. Blushing even brighter, he studied the dirt below as he quickly moved his hands to cover his crotch.

Lime was the first to break the silence. "So… do you mind telling me what happened last night?" she asked impatiently.

Mirai stared at his toes. He couldn't look her in the eye without picturing her chest all over again. "We got caught in the storm. All our clothes were wet and you were practically hypothermic. So I undressed us and we went to sleep. I promise I didn't look! Well….I did but I wasn't paying attention. Well… until five minutes ago and um…You're just so gorgeous and…" he babbled on, his cheeks becoming redder and redder.

He stopped as Lime cupped his chin between her palms and forced him to look at her. "Don't worry about it. You did the right thing," she said before kissing him softly.

Mirai heaved a sigh of relief which was reduced to a moan as Lime's pelvis brushed against his excitement. The kiss immediately grew more heated as the two tumbled on the floor, Mirai landing on top of Lime. As his tongue slipped past her lips, he began trailing his hands over her body, eventually landing at the supple curves of her derriere. Squeezing the mounds, he brought their hips even closer, causing Lime to moan as his fully erect member pressed against her core. As Mirai trailed kisses down Lime's neck, one of his hands left her ass and travelled up her body to her left breast, massaging it. Lime squeaked at the action and let out a moan as he flicked her nipple.

Breathless, the two separated, their eyes communicating that what they really wanted was each other. Right there, in that moment, they gave themselves to each other in body and soul.

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Sharpner opened his eyes groggily, staring at the wall of their small hut. He blushed in embarrassment as the events of the previous night rushed over him. He had cried like a little baby in front of Erasa, the girl he was desperately in love with. What did she think of him now? Sure he had been emotional around her before but that was before he saw her for what she really was: his soulmate.

Taking a glance over at her, Sharpner noted that she was still asleep. Taking advantage of the situation he decided to go take a bath while she was still out of it. Ducking out of the hut, he stretched his cramped muscles. Feeling a small weight on his shoulder, he looked over to find Kero, flapping his wings lazily at him.

"Good Morning, buddy," he said.

Kero flitted about his head before landing on Sharpner's shoulder.

"Sorry about last night," he continued.

The butterfly flapped his wings one to let the blond boy know he was listening.

"I just really miss my mom, you know?" Sharpner said quietly. "But I guess you don't know. You probably never even met your mom huh?"

As they approached the river, Kero flitted off his shoulder to allow the boy to undress. Sharpner hesitated as he stripped down to his boxers, debating whether not he should remove the remaining garment in case the girl sleeping nearby woke up. Deciding to keep them on in case she woke up, he dived quickly into the frigid water. Ignoring his body's protests, Sharpner rather stayed under water until he got used to the temperature. After washing the dirt and sweat off his body, he decided to get some exercise in by swimming the width of the stream a few times. When that grew monotonous, he decided to adapt Gohan's meditation techniques for his situation. Clearing his mind, he took a few deep breaths and dove under water, resurfacing only when his lungs screamed for air. Soon the boy lost track of the time as he lost himself in the calm of the river. As he came back to reality he resurfaced for the last time, never expecting that he would see Erasa in her underwear standing inches away from him on the shore.

The blonde girl pedaled back, shrieking as her friend emerged suddenly from the depths of the stream, soaking her to the bone. She was just washing her face and was about to take a quick bath. "Sharpner Pencil! Are you _trying _to give me a heart attack?" she yelled.

Sharpner tried to keep a straight face but the sight of her short blonde locks sticking every which way reminded him of Gohan's little brother. Her longer bangs hung limply over her eyes reminding him of a soaked puppy. Not to mention the cuteness of her attempted glare. The next thing either of them knew Sharpner had doubled over in laughter.

Erasa narrowed her eyes and pouted cutely which made Sharpner laugh even harder. "Stop laughing at me, you big jerk!" she screamed. Seeing at she was getting no response from him she slipped into the water and shoved him as hard as she could, causing the blonde boy to topple over landing face first in the river.

It was her turn to laugh as Sharpner emerged, dripping wet, his long hair draped over his head like a mop. Glaring at the girl, Sharpner used his arm to create a wave that knocked her off her feet.

Erasa opened her mouth in shock and wiped her wet hair out of her eyes. A rare smirk graced her features before she stated, "Oh, it is _so_ on."

Right then, an all out war broke out between the teens. Peals of laughter and happy shrieks tore through the air while Kero happily flitted above their heads.

Counteracting Erasa's advances, Sharpner began wading even deeper into the stream, knowing full well that Erasa couldn't swim. He raised an eyebrow in challenge as the water got to his upper chest which was about Erasa's height. He knew she wouldn't dare venture any further. "Sorry princess, I think we both know who won this fight," he said smugly, kissing his biceps.

That statement was shot down the drain when Erasa launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and coiling her legs tight around his waist. On instinct alone he wrapped his arms around her butt to hold her up. He shivered as her warm breath tickled his wet ear. "Honey, I'm just getting started," she whispered into his ear, sending peals of excitement running through his veins. He was at a loss for words. He had always known Erasa was quite the flirt but hearing her toy with him like that sent him over the edge. Raising his head to look at her, he found she was, just like last night inches away from him.

She tilted her head curiously at his intense expression. Before he could wimp out Sharpner leaned in and pressed his lips to hers roughly. Erasa squeaked at the sudden contact, her eyes wide open. But in a second, her eyes fluttered closed and she returned his kiss, moaning into his mouth, a sound that made his blood rush straight to his groin. He trailed one hand down her side, smoothing against the bare skin of her stomach. Her hands played with the hair on the nape of his neck sending shivers down his spine.

The broke the kiss, panting heavily, their foreheads still touching. Erasa was the first to break the silence between them. "Why did you do it?" she whispered.

"Why did you respond?" Sharpner countered. Seeing the annoyed look on Erasa's face he amended, "Because it felt right. I wanted to. I just know that every time I you and another guy together, I get insanely jealous. I swear if I could, I would have knocked that police officer's teeth out. I thought I was just being over protective but it's more than that. I guess what I'm trying to say is: I really like you, Erasa. N-not just as a friend. More than that." He looked down into the riverbed, avoiding her eyes before whispered, "Actually I love you."

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Reviews please? It would be a lovely birthday present! ^_^


	26. The Aftermath

Hey everyone... that is... if anyone still reads this story. Sorry for the slow updates. I'm just about to graduate uni and I'm determined I'm getting a 4.0 GPA this semester! Anyway this chapter was on my mind so I decided to get it out. A little bit of adult themes in this chappie. Thanks again to my reviewers! I don't own DBZ.

**_Last Time..._**

**_ "Why did you do it?" she whispered._**

**_"Why did you respond?" Sharpner countered. Seeing the annoyed look on Erasa's face he amended, "Because it felt right. I wanted to. I just know that every time I you and another guy together, I get insanely jealous. I swear if I could, I would have knocked that police officer's teeth out. I thought I was just being over protective but it's more than that. I guess what I'm trying to say is: I really like you, Erasa. N-not just as a friend. More than that." He looked down into the riverbed, avoiding her eyes before he whispered, "Actually I love you."_**

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**The Aftermath  
**

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Videl stirred as she felt someone poking her gently. Her eyes fluttered open in time for her to see Kiara sitting cross-legged next to her, her index finger poised to give her savior yet another poke. The girl's cuteness made it impossible for her to be annoyed at her. A sleepy smile spread across her face as she noticed the perplexed expression on the young child's face.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" she asked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind the girl's ear.

Kiara gave a long-suffering sigh and rested her head on her small fist. "I'm hungry," she whined rubbing her rumbling tummy.

Videl giggled at the girl's antics. "Well let's get you fed!" she proclaimed, poking the little girl's stomach, causing her to laugh. Videl sat up in the sleeping bag only to be yanked back down by her waist onto the warm, firm chest of her partner. She frowned and turned around only for her breath to catch in her throat. It was only when she looked into Gohan's sleeping face that she remembered the events that transpired the night before. It was hard to believe that the boy snoring softly next to her had been through so much. He had literally saved the world and witnessed so much death and bloodshed; all before he hit puberty. He had turned her world upside down in the few weeks she had known him. Before she met him, she had conceitedly believed that she was the second strongest in the world, apart from from her father who she knew had not done any training since he supposedly defeated Cell. She hadn't believed in the existence of aliens, or that people were capable of flight. How little she knew! She had never thought she would have fallen in love while she was still so young. Now she was lying in the arms of the boy she had undoubtedly fallen in love with.

Seeing that the boy had no plans of letting her go anytime soon, Videl opted for telling Kiara where she could find some fruit before settling in his arms. She had barely drifted off before she felt a fuzzy and slightly wet object graze her arm. Mistaking it for a raccoon or something, she lifted it up slowly only to find the end of it disappearing into the back of Gohan's boxers. Remembering Gohan had told her about the Saiyan tail and how it would spontaneously grow back, she didn't panic.

Looking down at her arm, she noticed it had a strip of blood on it from where the tail had been. How could he have stayed asleep while it grew back? It must have hurt like hell! He rubbed her backside subconsciously as she thought about the pain. She took the tail in her hand and massaged the tip, loving the feel of the soft, although slightly damp fur. She giggled as the tail began swaying happily from side to side. It was so cute! A low vibration from deep within Gohan's chest was a pleasant surprise. Gohan was actually purring! Feeling curious, she inched her hand higher along the length of the tail caressing the fur right where it disappeared into his boxers. Suddenly, she found herself on her back with Gohan on top of her as an almost animalistic growl escaped his throat, matching the feral look in his eyes. She gasped and stared up at him wide-eyed as she felt his erection press urgently into her thigh.

It was that soft sound that seemed to knock Gohan back to his senses. His eyes were now the expressive dark pools she was familiar with and right now they expressed nothing but embarrassment. A hot blush graced his cheeks and he just about flew off her to the other side of the cave. It was too bad his ankles had gotten caught in the blanket in their sleeping bag causing him to fall face first onto the hard cave floor.

For a second, neither of them moved. This was not the smooth Gohan she had become accustomed to. Yet, she couldn't help but find him absolutely adorable.

Meanwhile, Gohan buried his face deeper into the cave floor. '_Real smooth, buddy. Now you'll be lucky if she ever gives you the time of day after this'_ he chided himself.

A small giggle came from the cave mouth. Kiara had looked up from playing horsey with Icarus long enough to witness Gohan's fall. Her laughter was contagious and in no time Videl found herself laughing along with her.

Kiara nimbly jumped off Icarus' back and toddled over to Gohan, climbing onto his back instead. Seeing Gohan's tail waving behind him, Kiara studied it curiously. The tail nudged her under the chin causing her to giggle. She petted the tail, squealing in delight when Gohan began purring beneath her.

"That is soo cool!" she exclaimed, excitedly, squeezing the tail tightly. "Can I have one? Pretty please?" In her excitement, neither she nor Videl noticed Gohan's pained actions until he let out a wounded scream then went absolutely still. Frightened, Kiara gripped the tail even tighter as tears welled up in her eyes. Videl quickly sprung into action and removed the girl's hand from her partner's tail. Taking the initiative, Videl sat on the ground next to him and massaged the injured appendage, making sure to keep away from the sensitive base to avoid a repeat of the morning's events. Slowly, she saw the relief spread across his face as the purring sensation recurred.

She had barely done this before the little girl threw herself against her chest, bawling hysterically.

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to play! I didn't mean to kill Gohan! I promise!" she babbled in a panic.

Videl's eyes widened. She really thought she killed Gohan? Stroking her hair, she lifted her chin, forcing the little girl to look at her. "No Kiara," she said. "He's not dead. It just hurts him when you squeeze his tail. You've got to be very gentle with it from now on, ok?"

A small smile broke out on the little girl's face as she nodded furiously. "So does that mean you'll still be my new mommy and daddy? I promise I'll be good!" Kiara said hopefully.

Videl was at a loss for words. She wanted _them _to adopt her? But they weren't even a legitimate couple yet, much less married! Would minor services really allow them to take care of her even though they were so young? "Don't you have any aunts or uncles?" she asked the little girl instead.

The child seemed to freeze. Quietly, she said, "I have an Aunt Neko and Uncle Suzuki. They beat me the last time Mommy and Daddy left me with them. Mommy and Daddy said they'll never let me go back there again! Please don't send me back there!"

"No!" Videl said immediately. "I'll make sure they never, _ever _send you back there. I don't care what I have to do. I'll take care of you, ok?"

A full smile broke out over Kiara's face as she jumped and hugged Videl tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Any time kiddo," Videl answered.

The toddler crawled from her perch on Videl's lap and crawled over to the fallen teenager. Looking him straight in the eyes she stroked his cheek, hugged him and then laid a sloppy wet kiss on his lips in apology. "I'm sorry, Gohan," she said.

Gohan chuckled weakly at the girl's antics and got up as the pain subsided. He held out his arms to the child while shooting Videl a look of gratitude. Delighted, the little girl jumped enthusiastically into his arms as Videl smiled back at him.

"Thanks, Vi," he said, unaware of the nickname.

Videl, however definitely noticed. He was one of the few brave souls who dared to call her a name that was not on her birth certificate and was, she found with a smile, one of the even fewer persons who got away with it.

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Lime stared up at the roof of the cave. She could not believe she and Mirai had just had sex in a cave. She had always pictured it being in a fancy hotel or something with rose petals and wine. Yet, it felt so right the way it happened.

_What are you thinking about?_ She heard Mirai's voice in her head. She jumped in surprise. She had completely forgotten about the mental link Saiyans made with their mates.

_Us. _She replied in kind. _I still can't believe this just happened._

_Yeah me either. _Mirai responded. _I didn't hurt you, did I?_

_Nothing more than I expected. _Lime said.

_I'm so sorry about this morning. I promise I'll make it up to you!_ He responded.

_It's OK_ she responded. She really wished he hadn't reminded her. She had almost convinced herself that their sexual encounter was the one of her dreams. It probably wasn't the worst but still, after all she had heard from Chichi and Bulma about their Saiyan husbands, it was _very _disappointing.

To his credit, Mirai had learned her erogenous zones very well. He had stimulated her breasts, that spot behind her ear and even that sweet spot along her spine that she hadn't even known existed. She even had a minor orgasm! However, he failed miserably once he got to that very important spot between her legs. After the painful horror story that was his attempt to manually stimulate her womanhood was the actual penetration. He had tried to be gentle and to his credit, it hadn't hurt half as much as his fingering. She actually started to feel the pleasure that accompanied copulation when Mirai suddenly came, completely spent and leaving her largely unsatisfied.

It seemed that Mirai really took after his human side when it came to first-time sexual prowess (or lack thereof). She sighed heavily. It looked like she was going to have to school him and fast. Kissing him, she grabbed hold of his flaccid member she brought it back to life with a series of tugs and strokes. Taking his hand, she led it towards her womanhood and showed where she liked to be touched. He was going to get her off this time or help her Dende he was going to be a eunuch for the rest of his life!

Mirai gulped as her last thought slipped into his mind. Paying very close attention to where she guided his hand, he began to experiment, inserting one finger slowly once he was sure she was fully lubricated. As her moans picked up, Mirai inserted another finger, scissoring them. Seeing her hand move to a little button he hadn't noticed before, he flicked a couple times gently, feeling very satisfied with himself as Lime convulsed around his fingers, her head thrown back as she moaned his name. He was about to remove his fingers from her but kept them there, especially the pressure on her button, when he saw the death glare she sent his way.

As she came down from her high, Lime gently pushed Mirai onto his back and stroked his member again. Slowly, her impaled her self on him watching his face as he tried desperately to make it last. She rode him gently, loving the feel of his large length within her but not wanting to set him off too quickly. Yet, she needed more. Almost as if he had heard her request Mirai reached up and fondled her breast with one hand while the other stimulated her button.

Before long, Lime came around his length. Her long auburn hair tossed wildly as she spasmed above him. Just like that something snapped in Mirai. He flipped her onto her back and began pounding into her, making her come another time before he finally released himself within her.

As they soaked in the afterglow, Lime sighed happily and snuggled into his chest. _Much better_ she said.

_Thank you Dende_ Mirai said, looking towards the heavens.

_Any time, man. _Dende's voice came within Mirai's head. _Just don't expect me to do this every time. _

_888  
_

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__I hope you liked it. Review please ^_^.


	27. In the Light of the Moon

Hi people! *Looks around at the empty room*.^_^;

Well I know it's been forever since the last update but I've had so much going on. I just graduated college and my family made such a big deal of it, taking a very big chunk out of my time. It was much appreciated though. It was nice of them to travel all the way across the world for my graduation.

Anyways, to the reviewers that still remain, thanks so much for your support. I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**As they soaked in the afterglow, Lime sighed happily and snuggled into his chest. Much better she said.**_

_**Thank you Dende Mirai said, looking towards the heavens.**_

_**Any time, man. Dende's voice came within Mirai's head. ****Just don't expect me to do this every time.** _

* * *

**In the Light of the Moon...  
**

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Erasa stared at Sharpner, her mouth hanging open in astonishment. She never in a million years expected that the blonde boy, her best friend, the playboy, could ever be in love with her. She recently admitted to herself that she had a crush on him but she never expexted him to return her feelings. Yet, as hard is it was for her to believe, she trusted his words completely. She remembered when she had her first kiss, asking her mother how she would know if she had fallen in love. Her mother had said, "Imagine your life without that person. Then imagine your life seeing that person every minute of every day for the rest of your life. If you can't imagine the first scenario and the second brings a smile to your face, you know you are in love." Tracing her lips, Erasa could feel the corners of her mouth curving upward.

Taking one step forward, Erasa tilted his chin so that she stared him straight in his sky blue eyes. "I love you too," she whispered before crashing her lips onto his.

Sharpner's eyes widened, in shock. So unprepared was he for that response that he fell backwards into the water, taking Erasa with him. His eyes slid shut as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, sinking into the depths of the river. They weren't sure who opened their mouth first but the next thing they knew their tongues were engaging in a sweet battle for dominance. Sharpner indulged in the flavor of her mouth and from that moment decided he was never going to let her go. Aware that they would soon need to breathe, Sharpner wrapped Erasa's legs around him and made his way back to the shore. He collapsed on the riverbank with Erasa lying on his chest. They pressed their foreheads together, smiling as they caught their breath. "Did I tell you I love you?" Sharpner whispered, causing his breath to tickle Erasa's face.

Erasa smiled brightly back at him. "I believe you did but I'll never get tired of you saying it," she responded.

"Good," Sharpner answered simply before capturing her lips in another breathtaking kiss.

Sharpner was nearly reeling in joy. He could not believe that Erasa actually returned his feelings. He was over the moon. But he was determined not to screw things up. He knew he was going to have to approach this relationship differently or he just might get the result he had always been getting. They were going to take things slow and see where it goes. Looking into her sapphire eyes he thought, _This is just perfect._

"Now, about that hair…" he heard her say.

_Shit._

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Kiara watched from her perch on Gohan's lap as Videl sat cross-legged on the floor, cupping her palms in front of her. Sweat poured down her face and she strained.

"That's it Videl, just let it come out," Gohan coaxed from behind her.

Kiara was just plain confused. What was coming out of Videl? Did she need to go potty? And if she needed to go potty why were her pants still on and why were they watching her? She gasped as she saw a tiny light appear in Videl's palms. What was that? It was so cool! She looked up to ask Gohan but he put his index finger to his lips signaling her her to be quiet. Slightly upset, Kiara pouted and leaned back against Gohan's chest as she watched as the light grew bigger. Suddenly she felt something jab her under the chin. Confused she looked up and saw Gohan's tail waving lazily in front of her. She turned her attention back to Videl when the tail did it again. Glaring at it, she pulled it gently to her and stroked the tip, loving the feeling of Gohan's purrs.

"Now Videl," Gohan said, stilling her hand. "Push your energy under you. Let it lift you up."

"Ok," Videl responded.

At first nothing happened but then after a few minutes the grass began to stir and Videl floated about 15 feet off the ground! She remained there for another minute or two before slowly dropping back down, panting heavily as Gohan congratulated her. Kiara stared in wonder. Could she learn how to do that too? She looked up again at Gohan who smiled down at her. "Ask away Kiki," he answered her unspoken question.

"How did she do that? Can I do it too? That's so cool!" she gushed.

"Well, she did it by control her ki. That's like your life energy. You can learn to do it too but you'll need a little martial arts training first," Gohan said.

"Could you teach me?" Kiara asked meekly.

"Sure!" Gohan said. If she was going to be around them she was going to have to become stronger to keep up with the boys and Marron.

She hopped off his lap and stood in front of him. Gohan showed her the correct way to stand then showed her how to do a simple punch and kick. He patiently corrected her mistakes and then gave her a simple kata to work on.

"Once you master this, we'll get you to the next step, ok?" Gohan said, ruffling her hair.

"Ok!" Kiara chirped, smiling widely up at him before resuming her kata.

Gohan walked over to Videl who by now was lying on her back on the grass. He sat next to her and offered his hand to help her up to a sitting position. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Exhausted," Videl answered. A big grin crossed her face. "But I did it!"

Gohan smiled back at her. His heart fluttered at her smiling face and he wished he could see it every day for the rest of his life. His smile fell a bit as he realized she had said nothing about their relationship after he told her everything. He knew there hadn't been much time between the tail incident that morning and flying lessons that afternoon. Not to mention Kiara's hyperactive behavior thoughout the day. Still he wondered. Did she still want to be with him? Or has she decided he wasn't too freaky to be a friend but too freaky to be anything more than that? Should he ask her? Or should he wait until she approached him?

"What are you thinking about?" Videl asked.

_You._ He thought but answered with a shake of his head and a blush on his cheeks, "Nothing."

"Alright, but when you're ready to talk about it, you know where to find me," Videl answered quietly.

Gohan looked up at her with surprise on is face. Was that a hint? Was she waiting for _him _to bring it up? _Girls are so confusing!_

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_Later that evening…_

Gohan kissed Kiara's forehead as he tucked her under her blanket for the night. The girl had been working tirelessly at her kata and had perfected it by the time they were ready to return to the cave for the night. She had fallen asleep in his arms as they flew back to the cave.

He sighed. This was the moment of truth. He was finally going to ask Videl where they stood. He would definitely do it but just not in their cave. Taking another deep breath, he turned to Videl and asked, "Are you ready for another round of flying?"

Always up for a challenge Videl replied, "Sure!"

"Alright, buddy," Gohan said to Icarus. "Keep watch over Kiki for us ok?"

Icarus squealed and licked Gohan's face. He had fallen in love with the little girl. Trodding over to Kiara, he settled down next to her and curled his long tail around her sleeping form.

"Alright, let's go!" Gohan said before he picked up Videl bridal style and took off into the night sky.

Videl shrieked and held on to his neck as they traveled higher and higher. Opening her eyes, she paused in wonder as she looked at the Earth below. Their cave seemed like only a speck from where they were. The lake reflected the stars perfectly along with the tiny bursts of moonlight that escaped the cloudy night sky. The mountains cast majestic shadows against the navy sky. As they traveled higher she noticed clouds zooming by them. Suddenly they stopped and Gohan moved to a sitting position, pulling her into his lap.

Startled at the change in position, Videl looked around them only to realize they were sitting on top of a yellow cloud. She looked up at Gohan, "How-how is this possible?" she asked.

"Tell me one normal thing about me," Gohan retorted.

"Fair enough," she responded and snuggled into his chest. It was getting kind of chilly but Gohan seemed to be an endless supply of warmth. They settled into a comfortable silence as they watched the world from above.

"What are we?" Gohan asked from behind her.

"Hmm?" Videl asked.

"What are we?" he repeated.

Videl recoiled as she realized they hadn't talked about their relationship since last night. She felt his heart beat stronger and faster behind her and her heart picked up the pace to join him. Taking a deep breath she decided to tell him what she felt.

"We're friends," she started looking him in the eyes. Seeing his dejected sigh she added, "And lovers."

"Does that mean?" Gohan began, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Yes, I love you, Gohan. I don't care what you are. What's important is who you are," Videl responded, a soft smile on her face.

"I love you too," Gohan responded.

"So, can I finally have my kiss?" Videl asked teasingly.

Gohan blushed and nodded. Looking deep into her cerulean eyes he leaned in slowly and brushed his lips against hers. Pulling back, they looked deep into each others eyes before moving in for a second kiss, this time much more passionate. Videl's hand cupped his cheek from her position in front of him while Gohan arms became tighter around her waist. They moaned into each others mouths as their tongues met. Gohan sneaked his fingers under the hem of Videl's shirt, brushing them against her bare stomach while Videl's hand stroked the tip of his tail, sending shivers up his spine.

As they separated, Gohan took in her face, their foreheads still pressed together as they tried to catch their breath. A smile crossed his face. He was so lucky. She was absolutely radiant. Who would have ever thought that he would have fallen in love with a girl as amazing as she was and that she would return his feelings? He pulled away from her slightly just as her head became illuminated by the light of the full moon.

888

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Dun dun dun! Cliffy! Don't kill me!


	28. Enter the Beast

Hey everyone! Thanks again for the reviews and congratulations. They really mean a lot.

To Gabe: Seeing as you don't have an account this is the only way I can contact you. I'm going into biomedical sciences. Thanks for asking!

Anyway, I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**Gohan sneaked his fingers under the hem of Videl's shirt, brushing them against her bare stomach while Videl's hand stroked the tip of his tail, sending shivers up his spine.**_

_**As they separated, Gohan took in her face, their foreheads still pressed together as they tried to catch their breath. A smile crossed his face. He was so lucky. She was absolutely radiant. Who would have ever thought that he would have fallen in love with a girl as amazing as she was and that she would return his feelings? He pulled away from her slightly just as her head became illuminated by the light of the full moon.**_

* * *

**Enter the Beast  
**

Gohan froze in horror. This could not be happening right now. Not when the love of his life had just said she returned his feelings. He felt the transformation begin to take place. His heart began pumping steadily as his vision blurred. He jumped of Nimbus and muttered for it to take Videl back to the cave.

"Whatever you do, **do not **follow me," he instructed Videl, his voice three octaves lower than usual. His muscles expanded and his nose and mouth bulged outward. "I love you," he growled before plunging down to Earth as the beast took over.

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Videl gasped as the yellow, fluffy cloud took her back to the cave. Mind-numbing fear gripped her. What was going on? What was happening to him? She screamed as a terrifying roar tore through the forest. Was he some kind of werewolf too? Would he attack them? Is that why he said to stay away? Why didn't he mention this before? Pressing the button on her locator, she hugged her knees, willing her heart to stop racing.

Less than five minutes later, both Goku and Vegeta landed at the mouth of their cave. "Oh my Kami. Thank Kami you're here! Gohan just went crazy! We were on his cloud and then he just started changing. His voice got all deep and he was growing: a lot! He just jumped off the cloud about 3 miles away from here and told me not to follow him. Please tell me he's going to be alright!" Videl rambled on.

Vegeta looked at Videl in astonishment. "That sounds like the Oozaru transformation. Did the brat grow a tail?" he asked Videl rashly.

The girl nodded furiously. "Yeah it was all cute and everything. But what does it have to with what's happening?" she asked.

"This is bad," Goku said grimly. "He could be anywhere now and he still doesn't know how to control himself. We don't know how many of the other kids are in danger right now. Vegeta you go ahead. I'll be following you shortly."

Vegeta transformed into a Super Saiyan, nodded and took off, following Gohan warped ki.

Turning to the frightened teenager Goku gripped Videl's shoulders trying to calm the shaking girl. She was near hysteria. "Calm down, Videl," he said gently. "What Gohan is going through is pretty normal. Well at least by our standards. He was right to get you to safety because he's not in control of himself right now."

"But…but what happened to him?" Videl pressed.

"The transformation is called the Oozaru. Basically he turns into a mindless, giant ape and can destroy anything around him. I'm surprised he hasn't told you yet. I mean he's mentioned everything else. Maybe he didn't want to scare you," Goku supplied. Sensing that Vegeta and Gohan were already in a fight, Goku prepared to leave. "Well I've got to help Vegeta out so I have to get going." Turning into a Super Saiyan, Goku blasted off.

"But-wait! How did he know what Gohan told me?" Videl asked the sleeping cave. She was answered with a deafening snore from Icarus.

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Vegeta looked on in slight jealousy as the twenty foot beat in front of him beat its chest and howled, as it looked into the full moon. It had been way too long since he had been able to achieve this transformation and he missed it dearly. He missed the feeling of becoming one with the moon. While it was true that Earth's puny moon didn't give half the satisfaction that Planet Vegeta's twin moons gave, the connection, however slight, was still there. The feeling of power that the moon gave the Oozaru was like a drug. This was mainly why young children were unable to control the transformation. They were simply drunk on power. How he wished he had had that feeling when he was battling Frieza. He had thought that the Super Saiyan transformation would be even better than the Oozaru but it almost felt alien, in contrast to the familiar feeling of the Oozaru. The Oozaru was an intimate part of him, the beast within. He cursed the short, fat weakling for taking his tail away from him. Unlike the brats, he was too old to regrow his tail. That just didn't happen for mated post-pubescent Saiyans.

Shaking his head to focus on the task at hand, Vegeta approached the monster. As a last resort he would remove the tail. He knew what it was like to lose his tail and didn't wish the disgrace of it upon any Saiyan, least of all his friend's son. Instead, he and Kakarrott were going to teach the boy to control the transformation so that he didn't hurt anyone. Kami knew that the boy would never forgive himself if he did. If when he woke up he wanted to remove it, it was to be his choice.

Sensing Kakarott a mere minute away, Vegeta sent a weak ki blast at the monster's muzzle, attracting attention to himself. "How disgraceful brat! Eighteen years old and you still transform like a squalling infant!" he rasped. "Get a hold of yourself!"

The monster seemed annoyed that this small creature was interrupting its conversation with the moon. It raised a mighty paw, eager to stop this pesky nuisance in its tracks.

Vegeta nimbly avoided the potentially fatal blow and shot another ki blast at the monster before jetting off in the direction opposite to the students' campsites.

In a rage, the monster followed him, beating his chest angrily along the way. It slapped the creature into a mountain and opening its mouth, it unleashed a strong ki blast from deep within itself at the fallen creature. If nothing else, this should be enough to put the pathetic creature out of existence. However, it simply was not prepared for the strength and agility of the creature. Just as the beast had resumed its conversation with the moon it received a blast to its face. It opened its mouth and sent another ki blast at the irritating creature but never expected it to send it right back at it. The beast could do nothing more than raise its arms to its face to protect itself. The beast howled as searing pain hit it. Beyond peeved, it mustered an even larger ki blast and aimed it at the two? Wait when there were two of them? The beast roared again and launched the ki blasts at the twits. Once again, its ki blast was returned to it, but this time it felt the additional pain of another strong ki blast to its back. It roared in pain as it fell to the forest floor, taking a dozen trees along with it.

The other small creature approached it, staring with sympathy into the beast's red eyes. "Gohan," it said. "Come on buddy. You have to get a hold of yourself!"

The beast growled at it and struggled to get up.

"You've got to fight it Gohan! Think of Videl and Kiara! Think of your mom and Goten! What what he and Trunks think if they saw you like this?" it continued.

Vague pictures appeared in the beast's mind as another entity began to make its presence known. The beast howled and held its head as the other entity struggled against it. "Da," it growled in a low voice.

"That's it, son!" the small creature encouraged. "Fight it! Control it! Remember the power is part of who you are not what you are!"

With a mighty howl the beast fell limp and began to shrink, eventually leaving the form of a nude, unconscious Gohan.

"He's stronger than I thought," Goku said, looking back at Vegeta.

"Well it looks like all the _education_ the harpy forced down his throat trained him mentally," Vegeta agreed. "I guess it's good for something."

"I'm going to check on Mirai and the brats to be sure they haven't regrown their tails as well. You take the brat back to his mate," Vegeta said and flew off.

Tossing Gohan over his shoulder, Goku headed off for the cave, following Videl's ki. He only hoped the girl will be willing to accept him in spite of that little mishap.

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As he arrived at the mouth of the cave he saw Videl waiting there patting her foot impatiently. Apparently she had gone through the shock and was now entering the angry stage. Seeing it was Goku walking through the door and not Gohan, her face softened slightly especially after seeing the state Gohan was in.

Goku walked in and tucked him into the sleeping bag as if he were a child again. He brushed back the lock that grew down between his eyes and sighed. "I'm so proud of you son," he whispered.

Turning, he came faced to face with a slightly less angry Videl who obviously wasn't going to wait for Gohan to wake up for an explanation. He shot Videl the Son grin, which, for reasons beyond him made her even angrier. Funny. That's what he usually used to get _out_ of trouble.

The girl growled. "So _that's _where he got it from? Well don't bother trying it out here! I am _immune_ to that look! Now tell what the hell just happened!" she demanded in hushed tones. Not because she was worried and angry she was going to risk waking up Kiara…or Icarus. She still wasn't sure the dragon _liked _her per se. He only tolerated her.

Goku sweatdropped. He was going to have a little conversation with Gohan about his careless use of the Son grin. It was to be used in emergencies only! How else was it supposed to keep its effectiveness? "Well, he transformed into a giant ape and me and Vegeta knocked him back to his senses," Goku summarized while backing away slowly to the mouth of the cave. This girl was scary! What was it with Saiyans and being attracted to scary women?

"I _got_ that!" Videl yelled. "Why did he transform? Why didn't he tell me about it? And why is he naked?"

Sweat dripped down Goku's face as he waved his hands in front of him defensively. "It something that happens when Saiyans have their tail and look at the full moon. And he's naked because his clothes ripped off him during the transformation. As to why he didn't tell you, I can only assume he didn't want to scare you or he honestly forgot. But only he can tell you for sure. Just give him a chance when he comes to. I can tell he really loves you and I swear that he didn't mean to hurt you or anyone else by not revealing it. Anyway got to run. Chichi's waiting! Bye!" Goku said hurriedly and took off.

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Videl stared after him, contemplating the new information. _So when he has his tail he transforms into a mindless beast, but only when he looks at the full moon. And that just happened to be conveniently there after I had the best first kiss of my life. _She smiled, touching her lips as she remembered the sensation. _But what if it happens again? What if he hurts someone accidentally? Is that why they removed his tail as a child? Would he do it again? _

Walking over to Gohan, she saw several small scratches littering his torso and legs. Grabbing a cloth and a basin of water, she cleaned him off, trying not to look at his privates. Remembering he had one set of extra clothes in their back pack, she grabbed a pair of boxers and put them on. As a cool wind blew through the cave opening, Videl shivered and jumped into the sleeping bag next to Gohan, blushing as she thought of the beautiful sight she had just witnessed. She gave him a gentle kiss on the lips and ran her fingers across his forehead. She loved him but that didn't mean he would have a lot of explaining to do once he woke up.

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Tell me if you like it!


	29. Down Time

Hey everyone. I'm back again with another chappie! Thanks again for all the reviews. I really appreciate them. Warning: This chapter is mostly fluff and a bit of steam. I'll update as soon as I can! By now you should know that I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

**_Walking over to Gohan, she saw several small scratches littering his torso and legs. Grabbing a cloth and a basin of water, she cleaned him off, trying not to look at his privates. Remembering he had one set of extra clothes in their back pack, she grabbed a pair of boxers and put them on. As a cool wind blew through the cave opening, Videl shivered and jumped into the sleeping bag next to Gohan, blushing as she thought of the beautiful sight she had just witnessed. She gave him a gentle kiss on the lips and ran her fingers across his forehead. She loved him but that didn't mean he would have a lot of explaining to do once he woke up._**

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**Down Time  
**

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_Earlier that day with Mirai and Lime…_

Mirai rolled off a fully sated Lime, panting heavily as they completed their fourth round of lovemaking. Since they had woken up from their first time, the two had not left the small cleft they had sheltered in, too busy discovering each other's bodies to worry about basic necessities like food and water. Lime was impressed. Mirai's steep learning curve had quickly proved he was indeed the son of Bulma Briefs. She snuggled back into him as he spooned her while trying to catch her breath. As their breathing returned to normal, Lime felt one of Mirai's index fingers snake from her waist to her collar bone, making a feather like trail across her chest. She moaned as the finger circled her left breast in a spiral, eventually landing on her nipple. He pinched it gently at the same time his tongue lapped at her neck from his position behind her, causing her to arch her back into him. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth fell open in bewilderment as she felt him hard as a rock and threatening to pierce her lower back. _Oh my Kami. I've created a monster! He's already cum four times this morning alone! How the hell can he be ready again?_ Needless to say Mirai's earlier blunders were completely blocked from her mind. He was just too damn good now. She was tempted to indulge him but her aching thighs demanded otherwise. It wasn't that he was being too rough on her. It was just that her body was new to sex and if he kept this up she probably would never be able to walk straight again.

Pushing him away, Lime tried to protest but the objection died on her lips as Mirai's index and middle fingers slid into her. She moaned heavily as he continued lapping where her neck met her collarbone. It felt amazing! Too far gone to care about his obsession with that particular spot she reached out for his member in order to give him the same treatment. She was surprised when Mirai growled like a beast after its prey against her neck in admonishment. She let go immediately and he promptly resumed sucking at her neck. What was up with him? Why was he so obsessed with that particular spot? She probably would have asked him what his fascination was if not for Mirai's penis replacing his fingers within her as he bit down sharply on the spot, drawing blood. Lime was lost in a place between extreme pleasure and pain. She honestly has no idea what to do with herself. As Mirai lapped against the bite on her neck, the pain subsided significantly and she suddenly felt the urge to do the same to him.

Mirai groaned as she returned the bite. Leaning over her shoulder he kissed her lips gently then removed his hard length from within her, drawing a growl of protest from her. As she turned to face him, he rolled them over so he was on top. Smirking at the frustrated look in her eye he slowly ran the tip of his penis from the inside of one thigh to another, completely missing the area where she needed him most. Then he ran it from her navel to the top of her neatly trimmed nest of auburn curls.

"Come on, Mirai!" she whined.

He gave her no audible answer but instead raised an eyebrow. His clear blue eyes were now nearly a stormy grey with lust. He moved his penis across her mons pubis and pressed it against her clitoris, making small circles with it. He watched as the girl squirmed in withdrawn pleasure.

"Mirai!" she yelled, frustrated. Why was he teasing her like this?

Yet again, he gave her no answer. He left her clitoris all together and slipped down to her opening, making almost indiscernible thrusts at her entrance. His head wasn't even quite through her folds.

"Mirai!" she yelled at him again, thumping his chest in agitation.

Mirai winced as due to his ki-suppressing necklace, her punches actually hurt. He continued his torture for a few more seconds before he thrust powerfully into her, shattering her into orgasm immediately. He gritted his teeth, trying to hold on as her walls attempted to milk of every drop he had to offer. As her spasms died down, he thrust powerfully into her again and again, hitting her G-spot every time. Still sensitive from her last orgasm, it took now time before Lime shrieked his name. Slowing his thrusts down to help her ride it out, Mirai held on once again. As she calmed down, he took one leg and pulled it over his shoulder, thrusting even deeper into her. Lime moaned his name again and again as he attacked her from a new angle. This time when she climaxed, he came with her shooting his seed deep within her womb.

Mirai collapsed on top of her, staying buried within her as the after effects of her orgasm sent tremors down his length. As the contractions abated, Mirai rolled over and pulled Lime on top of him, his softening penis still sheathed within her. Lime made a move to pull him out but he placed a hand on hers gently. "Can we just stay like this for a while?" he whispered.

Lime gave a giddy smile. "Sure. But no more of this until at least next week," she added sternly.

Mirai gave a look like she had just killed his favorite pet. "But why?" he asked.

Lime rolled her eyes. "Because I'll probably never be able to walk again. And besides, we're not using protection. I'd rather wait until we can get our hands on condoms or birth control. We can't afford any accidents."

Mirai seemed wounded for a second. "You…don't want to have kids with me?" he asked hesitantly.

Lime instantly looked apologetic. She lifted his chin so that he was looking straight at him. "One day, I'll be happy to bear your child. But not right now. I'm not ready and you know you're not either," she answered.

Mirai still looked uneasy. "But what if you already are…?" he asked afraid to know the answer. Although he didn't think he was quite ready to be a father he knew if they were going to have a baby he would want to keep it. Just as he'd been forced to grow up at an early age, he would try to be the best father he could be.

Lime's eyes widened. _Damn! I didn't think about that! I could be five ways pregnant from Tuesday right now!_ But the thought of abortion or giving away their child made her sick. "I'd like to keep it," she voiced. "It won't be ideal but we'll make it work."

Mirai smiled widely at her. "But once we get back, we can continue practicing right?" he asked cheekily, leaning up for a kiss.

Lime pushed his face away and rolled her eyes again. "Your appetite is insatiable," she retorted.

Her words seemed like a curse since the moment she uttered them, Mirai's stomach released the loudest growl she had ever heard from any of the Saiyans.

Lime just shook her head and got up, removing his length from her. She tossed his clothes at him before starting to get dressed herself. "We should probably head back to the campsite."

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The two made a seemingly endless trek down the mountainside, which made them wonder how they had even found their way up to the crag on a stormy night. After walking for what seemed like hours to Mirai and his aching stomach, they came across a rock they had noticed when they were first dropped off. The rock was shaped exactly like Vegeta's head, and came fully furnished with the widow's peak. They had found it hilarious when they first noticed it. Mirai had done his best imitation of his father, quipping that even Mother Nature of this pathetic planet was bowing to the greatness that was the Prince of all Saiyans.

It was about 3 o'clock when Lime and Mirai stumbled across their campsite. To be blunt, it was a complete mess. The storm had strewn their backpacks and all their contents all around the small clearing. Their tent was halfway up a tree and it was obvious that some of the fruit Lime had gathered along with their fire pit had either been washed down the stream or taken by wild animals. The once clear area was full of rocks, dirt, leaves and small branches which made locating the forest floor practically impossible. Their extra clothes were drenched and muddy. Needless to say, they had a lot of work to do. It took them over an hour to clear the ground.

Looking over the slightly cleaner campsite, Lime proposed, "That looks good. How about I gather what's left of the food and you go retrieve the tent?"

"Sounds good," Mirai agreed before heading over to the trees that now housed their tent. Finding a solid branch Mirai hoisted himself up and before long reached the tent. He was just about to yank it down when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Confused Mirai looked on his shoulder and found a squirrel glaring at him and tapping its foot impatiently. He couldn't help but compare it to Videl. Mirai looked at it with a questioning expression. The squirrel motioned at the tent then gestured to itself. Apparently, it had decided their tent made the perfect wall hanging.

"No," Mirai said firmly, gesturing to himself. "Mine."

He dismissed the squirrel and reached for the tent again but the squirrel would not let up.

"Fine. Staring contest for the tent. Best two out of three," Mirai compromised.

The squirrel nodded and narrowed its eyes. It jumped on the branch in front of Mirai so that they were on the same eye level and stared the demi-Saiyan straight in the eyes. Mirai stared right back at it. It took several minutes and before long both their eyes had begun to water. Right then, the squirrel blinked.

It jumped up and down in disgust and made a fist at Mirai. Before long the staring contest was entering its second round. Five minutes later the squirrel emerged the victor.

"It's not over yet, bub," Mirai growled. Lost to a squirrel! How embarrassing was that! His pride would not allow him to lose this time. How was he supposed to go back to Lime and say he lost a staring contest to a squirrel over who kept _their_ tent? Sure enough Mirai emerged the victor and grabbed the tent while sending a smug look at the enraged squirrel. The small mammal simply folded its short arms and turned its back away from the teenager.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Mirai goaded and jumped down to the forest floor with the tent in tow.

He got back to the campsite and found the area spotless with Lime munching on some berries she had managed to salvage. They would have to build a new fire pit but with all the debris that they had cleared from their campsite, finding materials would be a breeze.

"What took you so long?" Lime asked.

Mirai contemplated telling her but when he thought about it, it was embarrassing to say he actually fought with a fricking squirrel. Instead he shook his head and gave a dry laugh. "Just got stuck up the tree for a sec. No biggie," he answered.

Lime was about to question him further but passed the fruit over instead as his stomach let out yet another earth-shattering growl.

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_Erasa and Sharpner…_

Erasa lay with her head on Sharpner's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat as he slept. They had taken a nap together in their little hut and she had just woken up. Not quite ready to move, she basked in the warmth radiating from her best friend-turned boyfriend's body. In a way, she still couldn't believe this was actually happening. She was in love with the biggest goofball yet one of the sweetest guys she had ever met and he loved her in return. Any doubts she might have had about it vanished when she looked into his clear blue eyes. They were filled with love and it was all directed at her. Now all she had to do was fix his hair…

Make no mistake Erasa understood Sharpner's attachment to his hair. She realized that it was the one thing he had inherited from his late mother and she had no intention of taking it away from him. No, she merely wanted to enhance that look. To be honest, Sharpner's long locks did nothing to highlight his masculinity and, in actuality looked, well…gay. Although she cared about the inside, appearances were equally as important to the blonde girl. After all, you only get one real first impression. She could not have people walking around thinking her boyfriend was gay. They were going to have a serious conversation about this.

Feeling restless as she lost herself in thought, Erasa ran a not so perfectly manicured fingernail across Sharpner's bare chest. He twitched slightly then tightened his hold on her waist. "Erasa," she heard him whisper in an almost tortured tone. A moan escaped his lips as his breathing and heart rate quickened. This change got Erasa's attention. What she did was definitely not that exciting. She gazed at her boyfriend's face and noticed his eyes were moving between the closed lids. _So he's dreaming huh?_ A smirk crossed Erasa's face as she slipped a leg between his and rubbed her knee oh-so-gently against his inner thigh. Sharpener released yet another loud moan and his eyes flew opened as Erasa ground her hips into his hardened groin as she kissed him deeply. He fell under the spell of the kiss, tightening his hold on her waist even more. The kiss deepened as their tongues tangled. Sharpner's arms travelled down and cupped Erasa's ass. Erasa's hands disappeared into his blonde hair as she angled her head to better kiss him.

"W-what are you doing?" Sharpner asked in bewilderment, relinquishing his hold on his girlfriend.

"What were you dreaming about?" Erasa deflected humorously, never ceasing her motions.

A bright blush graced Sharpner's face. His face scrunched up as he struggled to find the words. "Uh-uh-yeah," he began, ending with another moan. Steeling his resolve he pulled away from the blonde girl. "We should stop. I don't think we should take it so fast."

Erasa's eyebrows shot so far up, they nearly disappeared into her short hair. Did she just hear Sharpner _refuse_ sex. Well… a make out session. She wasn't going to give it up _that _quickly.

"Don't give me that look 'Rase!" Sharpner pleaded, his face still fire truck red. "I-I just don't want to mess this up."

"How would this be messing up?" Erasa asked, dropping the smirk as she realized he was being serious.

"I-I just know that if I do the same thing I've always done, I'd get the same result and I want us to last. At least until we're old and grey, and we're arguing over spoiling the grandchildren," Sharpner responded, ending in a joke.

"Having grandchildren implies having children," Erasa teased. She then became serious. "Is this what you want from us?"

Sharpner swallowed then nodded. It was so weird that this time _he _was the one talking about commitment. Usually he shied away from it. But there was just something so different about Erasa. He knew he wanted her around for the long-haul. "Yeah, I want marriage, a house, six kids and a dog. I want at least 50 anniversaries with you. The whole nine yards," he said, looking deeply in her eyes.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" Erasa teased, trying to fight the tears that were welling in her eyes.

Sharpner couldn't help but smile. "Not now. I mean I don't have a ring or anything. But I will. Are you ok with that?"

Erasa giggled. "Of course silly. I love you," she responded before kissing him softly. She pulled away from him and looked him in the eye seriously. "You do know that there's no way in hell you're getting six kids."

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	30. A Beautiful Nightmare

Hi. Back with another chappie. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Beyonce's Sweet Dream was stuck in my head for a while so excuse the themes, however vague that are in this chapter. I don't own DBZ.

_**Last Time...**_

_**"Are you asking me to marry you?" Erasa teased, trying to fight the tears that were welling in her eyes.**_

_**Sharpner couldn't help but smile. "Not now. I mean I don't have a ring or anything. But I will. Are you ok with that?"**_

_**Erasa giggled. "Of course silly. I love you," she responded before kissing him softly. She pulled away from him and looked him in the eye seriously. "You do know that there's no way in hell you're getting six kids."**_

* * *

**A Beautiful Nightmare...  
**

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The night was dark. Tall buildings formed a large grid below him and nearly every one of them was aflame. Terrified screams rose from the ground twenty feet below him yet he didn't care. All he could see was the moon. The full moon lay large across the star littered sky, casting a soft yet eerie glow over the dismal scene below it. He beat his four foot fists against his chest, howling non-sensically at the moon. He followed it blindly, not paying attention to the cars, buildings, _people_ he trampled underfoot in the process. Yet it seemed that with every step he took, the moon was moving farther away. Determined, he trudged on.

He flinched as he felt something sear his shoulder. Looking down for the first time, he saw the destruction. The destruction _he _had caused. He saw Vegeta yelling at him. Yet, he couldn't understand what he was saying. It was like he was speaking a foreign language. It wasn't Saiyan. He knew that language. Neither was it human. He kept gesturing at him and at the ground. With his advanced eyesight, he could see everything on the ground clearly, despite his high altitude. It was then that he saw it: his father, lying dead, his body covering those of his mother and little brother. Mirai lay dead with the bodies of Lime, Bulma and Chibi Trunks nearby. Krillen, 18, Tien, Launch, Yamcha and Piccolo were missing limbs. Sharpner and Erasa lay barely breathing. Little Marron and Kiara hugged each other, a steel pole penetrating both their bodies. Videl…she lay on the ground, her arms and legs bent at odd angles.

He was appalled by the sight in front of him, angry, remorseful, yet his body was not. It was like he wasn't in control of his body; like he was a miniscule thought in the vast abyss of his mind. He was like an onlooker, a prisoner in his own body. He screamed in protest as his body picked up Vegeta and began squeezing the life out of him. He flinched and squirmed as he felt and heard the proud warrior's bones break. What scared him the most is that his body was enjoying every second of it.

"Monster," he heard Vegeta choke out before his body fell limp.

Suddenly he was in control again. He looked down in his hands and saw Vegeta's dead body. His lifeless black eyes stared at him, somehow still maintaining their accusatory glare. He could feel Vegeta's damp sticky blood coating his furry forearms. Anguish flooded his veins. He had killed everyone he had ever called a friend. He had killed the only person he had ever loved, Videl. He killed the little girl who looked up to him like a father. Vegeta was right. He was a monster. In the only gentle act he had committed that day, he buried them all. Then he left. He walked back to his mountain home only to find it in ruins. It was then that the enormity of what he had done hit him. He fell to his knees and looked up at the moon, pouring out all his grief in a mournful scream.

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His eyes snapped open only to meet Videl's concerned ones. He sat up tentatively and averted his gaze, realizing he had been dreaming. Yet it had felt so real, he couldn't bring himself to look at Videl. Instead he stared at the ground as Videl took a seat in front of him.

They sat in silence for a while before Videl spoke up. "You had a nightmare," she stated rather than asked.

Gohan grimaced and nodded. "It's nothing," he deflected. "You don't have to worry about it."

"I don't have to but I will anyway," Videl insisted.

Gohan scowled. "Videl, I really don't want to talk about it right now," he said quietly. He knew that she didn't really want to pry; she just wanted to make sure he was ok. "I'm fine."

Videl lifted his chin and looked him in the eyes, seeing the anguish that dominated his onyx orbs. "No, you're not," she answered. "Tell me you don't want to talk about it, but don't lie to me and tell me you're fine."

"You're right," Gohan responded, not in the mood to argue with her. "I'm sorry."

"What happened to you last night?" Videl asked.

Gohan tore his face away from her grip again, looking back at the floor. He did not want to have this conversation right now. "I transformed," he answered evasively.

"Why didn't you tell me about this transformation of yours?" Videl asked, trying and failing to keep the anger and betrayal from her voice.

"I didn't want to worry you and I never thought my tail would grow back again. I thought I was too old." Gohan responded.

"Why did you run?" she asked.

"Because I would have hurt you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had hurt you," Gohan responded, still not meeting her eyes.

"No you wouldn't have. I trust you not to hurt me," Videl answered.

"You shouldn't. I nearly killed Vegeta and hurt my dad. You would have been dead in a heartbeat," Gohan responded monotonously.

Videl took offense at him basically calling her weak. But she knew now that she was like an ant compared to Gohan and his friends. She swallowed her pride and said, "I thought you loved me."

"I do. That's why I had to leave you. I'm getting rid of it," Gohan responded in the same emotionless tone.

"Your tail? Why? Wouldn't it hurt?" Videl asked.

"Because it turns me into a mindless monster!" Gohan yelled, tears beginning to flood his eyes as he remembered his dream. "That's what I dreamed about. I killed everyone! You! My parents! My little brother! All my friends! And I couldn't do a damn thing to stop myself! That's why I didn't want to tell you! I'm a monster and you shouldn't want to be with me!"

Videl immediately wrapped her arms around her boyfriend as he finally broke down. She rubbed his back and whispered soothing words in his ear as his body wracked with sobs. Her heart broke for him. All traces of anger she had felt for him not telling her everything vanished. Why couldn't he just accept that she loved him, no matter who or what he was? She would admit that she was scared. But she wasn't going to leave him. She needed him and he needed her. Nothing was going to change that.

As his sobs slowed, she leaned in and kissed him softly. His salty tears mixed with the natural taste of his lips. He didn't respond but he didn't pull away either. Videl guessed that was a good sign. At least he wasn't resisting her.

"When we get back you should leave me alone. I'll transfer to another school. It's not fair for you to have to deal with this," Gohan said dejectedly.

Videl reeled back in anger. _Guess he didn't get the memo. I'll fix that in no time!_ She slapped him in the face, causing him to hold his cheek and look her in the eyes in bewilderment. "You will not go anywhere! What's not fair is that you're deciding for me. Don't I get a say in the matter? I'm not leaving you! No matter what you say! I don't care if you transform into a giant lizard and start terrorizing cities. You are going to learn to control it and I'm going to be with you every step of the way. You said your tail is a part of you. Don't let it beat you." Videl yelled at him.

For the first time that morning Gohan gave a hint of a smile. "Ok," he said. He was going to give it a try. Right then his stomach growled. Gohan gave a sheepish smile. "I guess I'm a bit hungry," he grinned, rubbing his stomach.

Videl just rolled her eyes and smiled. "Go on," she said. She was glad he was ok.

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Later that evening, Gohan, Videl and Kiara sat around the fire, Kiara taking up her favorite position in Gohan's lap. They had been training all day and they were all tired out. However, Kiara was adamant that Gohan tell her a bedtime story. She loved the feel of his chest rumbling behind her as he spoke and his soothing voice chased away all her nightmares. She snuggled deep into his warm chest and listened as he related his tale.

"Once upon a time, there was a prince who lived in a land not so far from here. His name was Damien and he lived with his little brother, Nathan, his father, Sergei and his mother Natalia. One day, Damien played a trick on his father and as punishment, he sent him to a prison for rebellious young people. The prison was called high school," Gohan began.

Kiara looked up at him with an eyebrow raised. "High school? You couldn't come up with a name better than that?" she asked.

Gohan rolled his eyes. "Ok, how about… The Dungeon," he supplied, glaring at Videl who was quietly giggling.

"Corny, but I'll accept it," Kiara responded, resuming her position.

Gohan shook his head at the sassy child in his arms before continuing, "Anyway, when he got to the Dungeon, he was hated by everyone except for a nice girl named Emily. She had shirt blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was really happy and nice to him but she talked…a lot. Damien liked her anyway and they quickly became friends. Later that day, Damien had to pass a test set up by the other prisoners. You see, the way the Dungeon worked was that every newcomer had to pass a test to determine which rank they were in. You were either a fourth class, which was the lowest class, third class, which was slightly better than the lowest class, second class, or elite. The test was one of physical skill and no one thought he would be able to pass it. You see, the prince was smart and everyone knew that but everyone also thought that because he was smart, he was weak too."

"Well that's pretty dumb of them. Of course you can be smart and strong at the same time," Kiara answered, to the guilt of Videl. Even a four-year-old could see the fault in their logic. She guessed they were pretty dumb back then.

"Basically, the prince had to stand in front of all the other prisoners and dodge all the arrows they shot his way. He prepared himself, knowing he could pass the test, but not wanting to show off too much. When the first arrow whizzed past him he dodged to the left, the next one made him dodge to the right. Another one came from below and forced him to jump and yet another came from above and made him duck. Finally, the last one came and it was too fast for him to dodge it. He panicked for a second. What was he supposed to do? He knew he couldn't let it hit him because the arrow was poisoned, but he couldn't move too fast either so that the other prisoners would be suspicious of him. He caught it instead, inches from his face. He looked up at the person who fired it and saw a beautiful girl with waist length, black hair and goregeous blue eyes…" Gohan ended.

Kiara looked up at him as he concluded; her eyes and mouth wide open, completely mesmerized. "What happened next, what was her name?" she asked.

Gohan smiled. "You'll find that out tomorrow. I'll tell you a bit of the story every night until we get to the end ok?" he proposed.

"Why can't you tell me all of it now?" Kiara demanded with a pout.

"Because then, you won't have a story for any other night," Gohan responded patiently.

Kiara looked down and played with the tip of Gohan's tail which had settled in her lap. "Ok," she whispered in defeat. "I'll go to sleep now."

In ten minutes, Gohan was tucking the little girl into her sleeping bag. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead before tunring to join Videl in their sleeping bag. He gave her a soft kiss goodnight before spooning her against him.

Videl snuggled back into his arms. "So are you going to make an embellished account of our life story, her bedtime stories from now on?" she asked with a giggle.

"Well, as long as we're still alive, this story will never end," Gohan responded with a yawn, kissing her on the forehead.

"Goodnight Gohan. I love you," Videl said.

"Love you too Videl," Gohan answered. "Sweet dreams."

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* * *

I know it's short but review please?


	31. Bedtime Stories

Yes you are not imagining this update. It seems my creative juices are beginning to flow again. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. As you all know, I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**Videl snuggled back into his arms. "So are you going to make an embellished account of our life story, her bedtime stories from now on?" she asked with a giggle.**_

_**"Well, as long as we're still alive, this story will never end," Gohan responded with a yawn, kissing her on the forehead.**_

_**"Goodnight Gohan. I love you," Videl said.**_

_**"Love you too Videl," Gohan answered. "Sweet dreams."**_

* * *

_****_**Bedtime Stories...  
**

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Lime leaned her head on Mirai's shoulder as they lay back on the soft grass, looking at the stars. It was an almost crystal clear night with only a few white fluffy clouds scattered across the sky. The moon was hidden by the few clouds in the sky. She was so glad they wished it back. She remembered missing her giant nightlight before the Cell fiasco had happened.

"What was it like in the future?" Lime asked. Although Mirai had been living in their time for the past three years, he rarely disclosed anything more than a few details about his timeline. She hoped that now that they were… _intimate_ he would feel more comfortable telling her about it.

"Death and destruction," he replied vaguely. He hated speaking about his past but he knew since he and Lime had bonded, she would eventually know everything anyway. If something was bothering him, she would know immediately and he knew he wouldn't be able to refuse her once she asked what was wrong.

"No, I mean, what was your life like? Did you go to school? Did you have any friends other than Gohan? What was he like?" Lime asked all in one breath.

Mirai chuckled then sighed. "Well, I never went to school because the androids had been attacking as long as I could remember. My dad died when I was only a year old so I didn't remember him at all. Mom said he died protecting us and that even though he rarely showed it, he loved us. I guess maybe that's why I'm so attached to father in this timeline. You're grateful for what you have when you what it's like living without them," he began with a grim smile.

Lime chuckled. "And here we all thought you were crazy," she teased.

"Hey! He might be a little…_different_ but he's my father!" Mirai defended.

"I know," Lime said, snuggling into his chest. "Carry on," she commanded gently.

Mirai sighed and continued, "After that, Gohan pretty much stepped in as my father figure even though he was still a kid himself. He was only twelve years old when he lost his family. He was so strong you see. It was like he grieved the loss of his family by kicking android ass!"

Lime giggled. "Sounds like the Gohan of this time too," she said. Gohan was always hesistant to hurt anyone but once they hurt someone he loved, it was game over.

Mirai laughed as well but then shook his head. "The Gohan on this time sure had the same vendetta-seeking attitude but he was not like my Gohan. I know this Gohan had been through a lot but he had also seen a lot of happy times. My Gohan was fighting for half his life. He had seen more death and destruction that any teenager should have to face. The look in his eyes was just like the look in dad's eyes when he thinks no one is looking: haunted. He missed his family so much and he blamed himself for their deaths even though he could have done nothing to prevent them."

Lime placed a hand on his shoulder as Mirai recounted the grief of his sensei. "What was he like to you?" she asked, trying to let him think of the happy times, however few there were.

Mirai smiled. "He was my hero to be honest. He was so fierce in battle but yet, would let me cry on his shoulder whenever I got scared. I tried my best to become just like him, especially after he died. I did make a few friends eventually. They were kids and teens Gohan's girlfriend took care of. If we found anyone, Gohan and I would take them to her and she would patch them up and give them a home."

Lime smiled. It was good to hear that even in a world of chaos, someone could think of giving terrified children with no families a home. She then realized what he just said. "Did you say _girl_friend?" she asked in astonishment. Where had Gohan found the time for girls?

Mirai laughed. "Yeah, that was my reaction exactly when I found out. I think he had asked her to marry him when it was all over but you know he never made it," he said sadly.

"Who was she? Does he know her in this time?" Lime asked excitedly.

"As a matter of fact he does. She is none other than Miss Videl Satan," he smirked.

Lime looked at him slack jawed. "As in Gohan's camping buddy, Videl?" she asked in disbelief. When he nodded Lime just shook her head in bewilderment. Well it seemed that love was indeed timeless. Even under completely different circumstances, they had managed to meet and fall in love… Now all they had to do was admit it.

"Do you know how they met?" she asked him.

"Yeah he told me everything. Come to think of it it was the first time I saw him smile so brightly," Mirai recounted fondly.

"Well tell me already!" Lime insisted.

Mirai rolled his eyes at her childish behavior. "Once upon a time," he began only to yelp as Lime hit him in the shoulder.

"I'm not a child," she glared at him.

"Do you want the bedtime story or not?" Mirai deadpanned.

Lime sulked, rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Fine," she grumbled.

"As I was sayig before I was so rudely interrupted," Mirai said, sending a playful glare at his girlfriend. "Once upon a time, in this very land. There lived a man…or boy, depending on what you feel like calling him. He was eighteen years old and had a hard life. You see the entire world was under attack by evil androids. He had lost his entire family and was now living with his godmother and helping to raise her adorable, perfect son."

Lime rolled her eyes ay his taunt but refused to give in.

Seeing she was not taking the bait, Mirai continued. "Well anyway, our hero was out trying to prevent the androids from destroying a place called Orange Star City. He fought them with all he had, yet they beat him to the ground mercilessly. They taunted him, calling him weak and left him to bleed out. They destroyed the city anyway, sending a building crashing down on top of him. About an hour later a search and rescue team came along, led by the beautiful Videl Satan. Her father had died in a previous attack but instead of dwelling on it she tried to find any one who might have survived the attack. You see, the girl had been harboring kids from other towns who had lost their families in previous android attacks. Now it seemed that she was going to have to take in more kids from her hometown as well. The girl found him, bleeding heavily and with a lot of broken bones. She thought he was dead at first but upon checking his pulse found that he was still alive. She had him transported to the underground hospital she worked in and treated his wounds."

_Mirai Timeline…_

Gohan woke up, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. He had no idea how he got here and he wasn't sure if those who brought him here were friendly. Sure they patched him up but who was to say they didn't work for Dr. Gero. Besides, he had to get home to Trunks and Bulma. They were, no doubt, worried sick about him and he didn't want them going looking for him alone. Who knows what might happen once they ventured outside. The room was artificially lit and there were no windows so he couldn't tell what time of day it was. He figured he was either in the interior of a building of underground. He had to get out of here. Ripping out the IV and all the other equipment they had hooked up to him, he got up and began to walk out the door. Just as he opened the door, a small body crashed into his chest and on instinct, he held her waist so she didn't fall.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked him, a menacing glare on his face.

Gohan was taken aback. Not since his mother or Vegeta had he seen such a look on a person's face. His spirits instantly fell as he remembered his mom and the father Mirai never knew. Yet, he didn't let it show. His face remained a blank slate. "Home," he replied simply.

"Home? Don't you realize what happened to you? You were half-dead when I found you! You're lucky you're even alive! Now get back on the bed before your stitches break!" she commanded, her voice escalating to unheard-of decibels.

"I'm fine," Gohan responded, relinquishing his hold on the girl's waist before attempting to walk around her.

She stopped him yet again. She stared at the young man before her. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes, golden brown skin and a muscle tone to die for. He was dressed in nothing but a backless hospital gown, yet stood proudly before her. He was about her age yet his stance was defensive and his eyes were alert, already contemplating future escape routes, no doubt. It was like he was a soldier of some sort. "Go lie down," she said firmly.

"No," he replied coldly.

She glared hotly at him. "I really didn't want to do this but you seem to want to learn the hard way," she said grabbing a tranquilizer needle.

Before she could aim it, Gohan knocked it out of her hands and backed her against the wall so that their bodies were flush against one another. Her eyes opened wide and she stared into the glaring eyes of the boy-no…man above her. For the first time since her father died, Videl felt fear for her own life.

Seeing the fear in his captive's eyes, Gohan gaze softened. "You don't need to be afraid of me. But never try that again," he said gently yet threateningly.

The girl nodded, still terrified out of her mind, but feeling better as he moved away from her.

"I'll stay only long enough for you to see that I'm really fine then I'll go. I have people to take care of," he compromised.

"Fine," she said, regaining her confidence as he sat on the bed. Her face turned cherry red as he untied the hospital gown, revealing his body in all its glory. Videl struggled to stay professional, trying not to stare at his gorgeous physique. He was _hot! _"C-could you place the gown over your lap please?" she asked, her voice nearly trembling.

He looked up at her in surprise and smirked at the blush on the nurse's face. She was quite beautiful. Her dark hair framed her heart chaped face and cerulean eyes gracefully. He complied without asking. He didn't really want to embarrass the young girl further. He was used to Bulma stripping him off completely and putting him in the regen tank. Obviously this was not how they conducted things here.

She started with his arms, studying his face for any sign of pain as she gingerly touched the once broken limbs. To her surprise, they were fully healed. She then moved on to to his ribs and found that they too were fully healed. Only faint bruises hinted at the attack he had suffered only 24 hours before. She blushed and shifted the gown in his lab to expose his left thigh which had been sliced open by a piece of falling debris. Once again, only a scar hinted at the damage. She checked his heart rate, blood pressure and lung capacity and found that everything was normal. How was it that he was in the ICU alst night and was perfectly fine today? It just didn't make sense! No one could heal that fast!

"I'll get you some clothes. We had to cut your old ones off you," she pouted at the 'I told you so' look on the patient's face.

"I'll be waiting…" Gohan said. "By the way what's your name?"

"Videl," she answered. "And you are?"

"Gohan," he responded with a smile.

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Short again, I know but review anyway ^_^


	32. Last Day in the Wild

Hey guys! Thanks for the positive response for the last chapter. I really appreciate it! I swear I had to write this chapter like 5 times. Electricity outage due to the US Eastern storm made my computer crash a million times and deleted everything I just wrote. Finally the electricity's back to normal so I tried to recreate what I had written. Hope it's ok. Anyway I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**"I'll get you some clothes. We had to cut your old ones off you," she pouted at the 'I told you so' look on the patient's face.**_

_**"I'll be waiting…" Gohan said. "By the way what's your name?"**_

_**"Videl," she answered. "And you are?"**_

_**"Gohan," he responded with a smile.**_

* * *

888

"Hit me!" Gohan yelled as he stood in a defensive stance in front of Videl. They were training on their seventh and final day in the wild. Kiara was nearby practicing the new kata Gohan had shown her while Icarus kept a watchful eye nearby. Videl growled and slid into her stance. Gohan marveled at the progress she was showing in such a short time. Her stance was now fully grounded and her power level had doubled. She was twice as fast and twice as strong. Yet, her emotions still hindered her. Videl had the tendency to get angry very quickly, but unlike Gohan, who channeled the negative energy into making his attacks stronger, she became sloppy.

As if on cue, Videl lunged at Gohan kicking and punching at him with all she had, yet she had yet to land a single blow.

"Looks like I was wrong. You _are_ a weakling," Gohan taunted her.

Videl fumed. "I am _not_ weak!" she yelled at him, her attacks becoming more and more sloppy with each missed blow.

"Pitiful," Gohan mocked. "Can't even keep focus long enough to land a single punch. You should be ashamed to call yourself a martial artist."

Videl growled and retreated, closing her eyes as she tried to calm herself down. He was right. She was becoming sloppy. Slowing down her breathing, Videl opened her eyes, her mind focusing on Gohan's frame. She was going to hit him if it was the last thing she did. She took note of their surroundings. They were training on a cliff at the edge of the waterfall. Smirking, she formulated a plan. Moving back on her haunches, Videl launched herself at Gohan once again, landing intentionally sloppy punches at him but instead of retreating, backed him up to the edge of the waterfall. As his feet neared the edge of the cliff, Gohan began to float, a smug smirk on his face as he knew Videl wouldn't be able to follow him without tiring herself out.

"Look what you did now," he said smugly, raising an eyebrow at her as he drifted further away from the edge of the cliff. "How are you going to get yourself out of this one?"

Videl only smiled. _Got you right where I want you, sucker!_ Videl launched herself off the cliff, making a half-hearted attempt and lunging at him before plummeting to the lake below.

Immediately, Gohan's smirk dropped from his face as wide-eyed panic took over. What the hell did she think she was doing? Swooping down, he caught her seconds before she impaled herself on the spiky rocks at the edge of the lake. Concerned and furious, Gohan spun her around to face him and was about to tell her off when she punched him lightly on the arm, a huge grin on her face. Instantly, the stormy look on Gohan's face evaporated as he realized she had planned this. Instead he merely shook his head in amusement. "You do know a criminal would have left you there to die," he pointed out wryly.

Videl giggled. "I know," she said childishly. "But I'll never fight have to fight a criminal as strong or as fast as you are so I can do whatever I want!"

Gohan rolled his eyes although a hint of a grin threatened to split his features. Although he was annoyed that she would do something that stupid just to hit him, he was flattered that she literally trusted him with her life. "Now you sound like my little brother," he teased.

Videl didn't seem fazed by the comparison. Instead she just stuck her tongue out at him. She immediately regretted her decision when Gohan grabbed her tongue between his thumb and index finger, causing her to her cringe at the bitter taste of his fingers. "Aww. Gross Gohan!" she whined as she spat repeatedly trying to get the taste out of her mouth.

"Aww. Poor baby. Want me to kiss it better?" he cooed, not waiting for answer as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss and dove into the water at the clear end of the lake.

Videl's stubborn side made her put up a fight the first few seconds but soon her resolve melted away as she lost herself in his kiss. He easily slipped his tongue between her lips and soon their tongues were engaged in a battle for dominance. She sighed as she gave up fighting and slipped her arms around his neck, allowing him to kiss her even deeper. His hands cradled her hips and his fingers twisted in the wet fabric at the hem of her shirt. Her fingers dug themsleves into his hair, playing with the short locks at the nape of his neck. Soon the need to breathe overpowered their thirst for the other's mouth and they rose to the surface and broke apart, breathing heavily.

Gohan stared at the dark haired beauty in front of him. Her long hair hung limply around her shoulders. Her wet clothes clung tightly to her body, revealing the slender yet curvy frame she tried to hard to hide. Her eyes were half-lidded and dark with lust. Her lips were swollen. All in all, she looked like a girl who had been thoroughly kissed. A thrill raced through Gohan's body as he realized he was the one who made her this way. In no time he was attacking her lips again.

It was Videl who broke the kiss this time. "We should be getting back," she said, noticing the setting sun. "They'll be coming to pick us up any moment now."

Gohan pulled a face. "Aww. Do we have to?" he whined, nuzzling her neck.

Videl pushed him away gently. "Yes we do," she said firmly.

Gohan sighed. "Fine," he grumbled. "One more kiss?" he asked expectantly, armed with the Puppy Dog Look TM.

Videl rolled her eyes but complied. Who was she to deny him?

888

Sharpner sighed as he ran his hands through his now short hair. As promised, Erasa hadn't cut it _all_ off. Instead it was in a stylish cut straight out of Yumiko Weekly. He didn't really have a mirror. The river was the closest thing he had to one. His reflection was distorted but it was enough to know that he didn't _hate_ it. He would have to wait until they got back to Gohan's house later that evening to find out of he liked it. Even if he didn't, he was going to live with it for Erasa's sake. His blonde girlfriend was waiting behind him biting her fingernails nervously in anticipation of his reaction. He pasted a grin on before turning to face her.

Her nervous smile drooped the second she saw his face. She knew Sharpner better than anybody and she knew he didn't like it. "You hate it," she said bluntly, hanging her head.

Worry instantly flooded Sharpner's face. He rushed over to her and hugged her just as the first tears began to fall from her light blue eyes. "No, babe," he said into her hair. "I don't _hate_ it. It's just new. You know how I am with change," he tried to explain.

Erasa pulled away from him slightly and looked up at him with teary eyes. "Really?" she asked.

Sharpner nodded earnestly. "Cross my heart," he promised.

Just like that, Erasa's mood seemed to take a 180. A huge smile broke out on her face and she launched herself across the three inches that separated them to kiss him.

Sharpner eventually broke the kiss and kissed her forehead. "We should gather our stuff. They'll be coming to pick us up soon," he said.

"Ok," Erasa chirped and skipped back to their hut alongside him, never letting go of his hand.

888

Lime and Mirai sat on the forest floor next to their packed bags. They had dismantled their tent and disassembled their barbeque pit. Lime sat between Mirai's legs as they gazed at the setting sun, waiting for Bulma's pilot to pick them up.

"So how exactly did Gohan and Videl get together in the future?" she asked. She was bored and she had to say she was interested in their story.

Mirai chuckled. "It was actually a pretty funny story," he began. "It was a few months after they met. Mom had devoted all her time to building and designing the time machine so she marched Gohan and I to Videl to treat our wounds. As the android attacks became more frequent, we began visiting more often than either of us liked. But soon we began enjoying our visits. Well at least I did. I made friends with the kids Videl had rescued. It was the first time I had ever been around kids my age so I was pretty excited to make some new friends. I know Gohan enjoyed the visits as well although he didn't exactly show it. He and Videl got into some pretty heated arguments about the simplest of matters but the kids and I suspected that it was only because they liked each other. Neither of them would admit it though. Soon enough, mom met Videl and the kids and concluded that they belonged together. She tried and failed many times to play matchmaker but it wasn't until that Christmas that anything happened between them."

_Future Timeline…_

"What?" Gohan demanded in bewilderment. What was Bulma thinking? Didn't she realize that their world was under siege? They didn't have time for frivolous…_parties!_

"Yes! We are having this Christmas party whether you like it or not, young man!" Bulma said, adopting an authoritative tone. "These kids need to have something to look forward to! They've lost so much!"

"Haven't we all?" Gohan countered. "I've lost my entire family! I fight to save this world even though I know I'm gonna lose. You lost your…your…whatever he was to you! Trunks lost his father before he even got to know him. How about instead of trying to set these kids up for a good day that's going to end badly, you go build that time machine and save all our asses!"

Bulma fumed as the Frying Pan of Doom appeared out of nowhere and slammed itself onto Gohan's head. Chi Chi had entrusted the Pan to her best friend before her death. She didn't use it as often as her deceased friend did but it _did_ come in handy once in a while.

"Son of a bitch!" Gohan cursed, clutching his sore cranium.

"Don't use that language around me young man!" Bulma yelled, unleashing another blow onto his already battered skull.

"Fine! Just…just stop it!" Gohan sighed, flinching away from her. He had to admit in some odd way he missed the pan. It reminded him of his mom. It brought back memories of when he was a kid, sneaking away from his studies to train with his dad and Piccolo. But damn he forgot how much it hurt!

"We are having this party, Gohan and you are going to be there!" Bulma demanded.

Gohan sighed and walked off. There was no reasoning with this woman.

888

A few hours later, Gohan leaned against the sole remaining wall of Dr. Briefs' garden. Out of habit he looked up to the stars, forgetting that it was a long time since they were visible in the city. Dust clouds from the android attacks obscured the sky. He sighed as he thought about what the world had become. He had watched the greatest warriors he had ever known fall one by one until no one but himself remained. He was the only one capable of even distracting the androids, and even still he wasn't strong enough. He would have continued along this train of thought if he didn't detect a presence behind him. He didn't even have to check the person's ki signature to know it was Videl.

"What is it?" he asked bluntly.

Videl was unfazed by his directness. She was used to him and his perpetually sour mood by now. "The kids are about to open their presents. You should come inside," she said tugging on his arm.

"I'd rather not," Gohan replied.

Videl frowned and tapped her small foot in impatience. "Look, I didn't come in here to argue with you. Bulma asked me to bring you inside and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop acting like a sourpuss and show some support for the kids," she said forcefully without raising her voice.

Gohan stared at her for a second but then complied. "Alright, let's go," he said, sounding not in the least excited.

Videl rolled her eyes. "Such a party pooper aren't you?" she teased, nudging him.

Gohan chose not to answer and instead followed her inside.

They had just walked through the threshold of the door when a shriek from Bulma stopped them in their tracks. "Stop right there!" she yelled at them, capturing the attention of the squirmy kids. "You have to do it! It's tradition!"

Gohan looked in confusion at Bulma before Trunks pointed upwards. His heart sunk in his chest as he looked up slowly, already knowing what hung above their heads. Mistletoe. He shook his head. There was no way he was kissing her. Sure she was attractive but he didn't have time for this! "Bulma!" he began but the blue-haired woman cut him off.

"No buts young man. You better plant one on her before I bring out the big guns!" she threatened.

Gohan shivered. He knew what the 'big gun' was and it was _not _ pretty. You see, Bulma had made a Frying Pan out of a metal she had developed herself. It was harder than any material known to man and if titanium hurt that much, he had no idea what this Frying Pan would feel like, nor did he want to know. He sagged his shoulders in defeat before he turned to look at Videl who was looking everywhere but at him.

He stepped closer to her and reached out and tilted her chin, forcing her to look at him. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before he leaned down slowly. His breath was shaky and his heart was beating a mile a minute as he drew nearer to her. This was crazy! He was going to kiss his nurse in front of everyone he knew! He didn't have much longer to ponder it because before he knew it, his lips were against hers. She tasted of strawberries. How? He had no idea since neither he nor anyone he knew had seen a single strawberry since the first android attack. This was his last coherent thought as at that moment, Videl had begun kissing him back and his mind went blank. His fingers twisted in her hair as her hand came to rest on his chest. They moved their lips against each others' in sync, both lost in the taste and feel of one another. Everything including time and their audience vanished and all that remained was the two of them. Gohan's arms slipped down to Videl's waist caressing her flesh through her clothes as Videl's hand moved to cup his strong jaw while the other played with his hair. Feeling a rush of boldness, Videl slipped her tongue into his unsuspecting mouth, unfortunately shattering their moment.

He pulled away roughly, his eyes wide and his cheeks turning cherry red as he realized what had just occurred. He stuttered as he tried to explain himself to the rather large audience but his brain decided intelligence wasn't on its priority list at the moment. Blushing, he gave up and walked back outside, leaving a blushing Videl tracing her lips lightly with a smile on her face.

_Present…_

Mirai chuckled as he remembered the look on his sensei's face. "They kissed for over a minute. I was counting. I thought mom was going to have a heart attack she was so happy. I'd never seen Gohan so flustered. Imagine my dad doing something like that and you'll get how weird it was," Mirai said.

Lime stared at him slackjawed as she tried to imagine Vegeta acting like that before she too began laughing. He was right. It _was_ weird.

"So after about a week of avoiding one another, Gohan got injured again. Videl wouldn't let him leave until they talked things over and the next thing we knew they were together," Mirai concluded with a shrug.

888

Gohan and Videl climbed into the hovercraft to find only Sharpner, Erasa, Mirai and Lime inside. They looked at their friends in confusion. Were they going to pick up everyone else? Right then a video screen moved down from the ceiling. There was a bit of static for a second before a clear image of Bulma appeared on the screen.

"Congrats guys! You are the only ones who made it all the way to the end. You all get As!" she cheered. "Now you'll be brought back to the palace where you can have a nice bath and get some real food. See you soon!"

888

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Hope you guys like it! Review please?


	33. Girl Talk

Hey guys! I'm back again with another chapter. Thank you so much for your feedback. I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**"Congrats guys! You are the only ones who made it all the way to the end. You all get As!" she cheered. "Now you'll be brought back to the palace where you can have a nice bath and get some real food. See you soon!"**_

* * *

_****_**Girl Talk...  
**

888

"Where is my grandbaby?" a shriek arose from within the walls of the Ox Kingdom's Summer Palace. Gohan and his friends had barely disembarked the aircraft before the students who happened to be in the way of the Princess began to fly in random directions as pained groans filled the air. The lucky students who had managed to escape the Princess' wrath stood by, mouths agape, too afraid to afraid to even help their fallen classmates. As the group entered the foyer they were immediately accosted by the deranged Princess. She stared at them, a wild look in her eyes as she panted heavily from her previous exertion. Upon seeing her son, she somehow lifted him up by the collar and slammed him into the nearby wall. Hairline fractures appeared in the wall as the picture frame that hung nearby swung dangerously on its hook. "Where is she?" she screamed at him, her face inches away from her frightened child. He could practically feel the heat radiating from her. It was times like these that her rumoured demon blood made itself known. His jaw seemed locked so he settled for opening his eyes wide in horror.

"Who's that scary lady?" Kiara whispered in Videl's ear as she hid behind her absolutely terrified.

"Looks like she's gonna be your new grandma," Videl whispered back.

Kiara looked at her, horrified. "Ok. You guys don't have to be my new parents anymore. I'll take my chances with with minor services," she gulped, trying to make herself as small as possible behind Videl. It seemed even her whispers were picked up by the keen ears of the demon lady as as soon as she closed her mouth, the lady's eyes locked upon hers. She swallowed thickly. "I just want to let you guys know I love you even though I just met you. You can have my teddy bear and my room. Don't cry for me. I'll be with my mommy and daddy, ok?" she babbled quickly.

The demon lady dropped Gohan who slid to the floor, thanking his lucky stars that he was still breathing. However Kiara barely noticed. All she could focus on was the mad grin on the demon lady's face and the perfectly manicured nails that were aiming straight at her. The girl tried to run but her feet were frozen in fear. All she could do was close her eyes and wait for her end.

She was immediately swept to a tight hug which expelled all the air from her tiny body. Her ribs were compressed under the tight hold, making her wonder if she was really going to get her first broken bone the day she died. Then, at once her cheeks were on fire as the lady pinched them hard, somehow never loosening the grip she had on the little girl's body. Then her face was littered in kisses, red lipgloss patterns appearing on every possible area of her face. She barely registered the words about how cute she was coming out of the woman's mouth. All she wanted to do in that very moment was get a bath and have Gohan hold her until she fell asleep. Soon the lack of air was visible on her face, as her once rosy cheeks were taking on a bluish tinge.

It was then that Videl decided to step in. "Ahem," she coughed trying to get Chi Chi's attention. But it was to no avail. The woman didn't even notice her. Trying another tactic, she attempted to pry the little girl away, but the older woman's vice-like grip was too much for her. Then she tried another plan. She sent a death glare over at Gohan, who was kissing the floor like a man stuck at sea for ages. "Get your ass over this instant!" she yelled at her boyfriend, who immediately snapped to it. He wasn't the only one who did, as the minute she raised her voice, Chi Chi whirled around to face her.

"Who dared raise their voice to my baby?" she screeched, the Frying Pan of Doom appearing, ready to strike. However, as soon as she noticed it was Videl, her attitude did a complete 180 as she let go of the slightly blue Kiara and focused her attention on Videl.

Kiara gasped, allowing precious air to flood her oxygen-deprived lungs. Staggering over to Gohan, she wrapped her arms and legs tightly around his torso and laid her head on his shoulder. "You owe me," she grumbled in his ear, rubbing her sore cheeks. Gohan could only nod in response. For that he would give her whatever she asked for.

Videl, on the other hand had begun to sweat bullets. She was glad Gohan's mother had let go of Kiara but she was _not _willing to take her place! She glanced warily at the woman as she grabbed her wrist in a vice-like grip. "Oh! It's my future daughter-in-law! You are going to be an excellent wife for my Gohan! You already know how to keep him under control!" Chi Chi gushed. A broad grin graced the woman's young features as she thought of the possibilities. "Now come with me. We are going to get your measurements for your wedding dress. I'm sure you can fit into mine. You've got nice child-bearing hips…" she chatted as she dragged Videl by the hand to an unknown room.

Videl looked back at Gohan, her eyes open wide, desperation written all over face. "Help me," she mouthed at Gohan.

At that very moment, Gohan had a flashback to a certain incident at the pool. A smirk crossed his face. "Sorry babe," he said waving innocently at her as he gathered Kiara into his arms.

Videl sulked as she realized he was making no effort to come to her assistance. _Payback's a bitch!_

888

Videl nearly giggled in anticipation as she approached her bedroom door. She could hardly wait for a hot bath and a good night's sleep. To say her session with Chi Chi was torturous was a complete understatement. She really thought she could handle the older woman but what she didn't expect was that she would have reinforcements in the form of Bulma, Launch and Android 18. Videl was held down as they took her every possible measurement. She wouldn't be surprised if they could tell her the circumference of her big toe to three decimal places. Then, she just just _had_ to open her mouth and say that she and Gohan were _not_ getting married; at least not for a while. She shivered as she remembered how the temperature had nearly dropped ten degrees the moment she said it. The verbal thrashing she received in return was not something Videl wanted to relive. Thankfully she had managed to remedy the situation before she was finally allowed to retreat to her room.

She opened the door without knocking. Knowing Gohan would probably let her come in even if he was naked, she didn't bother hesitating. What she didn't expect to see was Erasa sitting cross-legged on her bed, an eager grin on her face.

Videl's shoulders sagged as she saw the look on her friend's face. That look said that she wasn't going to get a moment's rest until she told her all the dirty details. Noticing neither Kiara nor Gohan was in the room, she guessed the blonde girl had kicked them out for a few hours. "At least let me take a shower first," Videl responded to her friend's unspoken question. There would be no bath for her tonight but a shower would do well enough to remove the grime of the forest.

"You have ten minutes," Erasa responded, showing off her pearly whites.

Videl emerged from the bathroom without a minute to spare, dressed in a white T-shirt and a pair of shorts. Sitting on the bed next to Erasa, she asked, "So where did you banish them to?"

"He took all the kids for a bath in the East Wing. Kiara's rooming with 18's little girl tonight," Erasa answered dismissively. "Excellent father material by the way. Definitely one for the 'plus' column."

"Yeah," Videl responded with a fond smile. "I swear Kiara would only go to bed if he tucks her in."

Erasa squealed at the far-away look in Videl's eyes. The poor girl was absolutely smitten! "You really love him, don't you?" she asked, already knowing the answer. What she didn't expect was Videl's unhesitant affirmation. She had expected the girl to put up some resistance. It was amazing that a week ago she was pressed to say that she had any feelings for him at all and now she was openly admitting her love for him. _Well, that's the wilderness for you! _"Wow," Erasa said in awe. "Who are you and what have you done with bad-ass Videl Satan?"

Videl snapped out of her daze and punched Erasa lightly in the shoulder. "I'm still right here and don't you ever forget it!" she retorted with a mock glare.

Erasa merely giggled. "So tell me that you've at least snuck a peak at the goods by now," she teased.

Videl blushed lightly. "On more than one occasion," she admitted in a low tone. Imagining Gohan's nude frame made her heart race.

Erasa's clear blue eyes opened wide in astonishment. She expected them to at least get to second base but a homerun was way off her radar. A devious smile graced her lips as she asked, "So the Virgin Videl is no longer pure. Will he have to make an honest woman out of you?"

Videl shook her head vehemently. "No!" she nearly yelled, blushing to the roots of her hair. "We haven't done anything. It's just that Gohan has no modestly whatsoever!"

Erasa leaned forward on her elbows, practically panting for the bits of gossip Videl was dishing out. Not that she'd tell anyone. It was just exciting that Videl was the one talking about a new boyfriend for once. "Come on girl. Dish out the details!" she gushed.

Videl blushed again at the memory of Gohans body. "Let's just say it's proportional to his height," she answered.

Erasa's eyes sparkled with glee. She had had a feeling. "Is he a good kisser?" she asked finally.

Videl looked down bashfully. "Yeah, he's pretty amazing," she responded shyly, giving an uncharacteristically girly giggle.

Erasa squealed. Using her index finger, she pretended to write something on her palm and handed the imaginary slip to Videl. "Well, my prescription is to hold on tight and never let that boy go," she said with a smile. "You probably won't find another one like him."

Videl smiled to herself, thinking back on Gohan's heritage and history. _You've got no idea…_

888

Erasa and Videl had spent just about two hours talking. Videl sighed happily as her blonde friend finally left for her room. It was a girl-talk long overdue. It was weird for her to be actually asking Erasa for advice about boys. Usually Erasa was the one spouting news about her new boyfriend while Videl sat listening. It was kind of nice that they both had something to talk about this time.

Videl had barely laid her head on her pillow before a knock sounded at their door. Opening the door, she glared when she saw Gohan in the doorway. She still hadn't forgiven him for abandoning her earlier. He gave her a large grin. "Is it safe to come in?" he asked.

Videl's scowl only deepened at his content expression. "Depends. Do you want to die in your sleep?" she asked shortly, folding her arms.

Gohan gave her an even larger grin and ruffled her hair. "I'll take my chances," he replied smugly, pushing past her easily. Gohan wasted no time stripping down, leaving a trail of clothes as he headed to the bathroom.

Videl could only stare at his retreating back. She stomped her foot on the ground in frustration. She hated the fact that he could probably immobilize her with his pinky. He could have at least played along and pretended she could land a hit on him. Rolling her eyes in contempt at the empty room, Videl turned off the lights, tucked herself into bed and tried to go to sleep. However, just as she was about to drift off, she felt the bed sink down under the weight of someone. She didn't have to open her eyes to know it was Gohan.

"I want my goodnight kiss," he whined like a petulant child.

Determined to ignore him, she didn't respond. Did he really think he was going to get a kiss after practically tossing her to the wolves? Gohan, however, was not one to give up easily. He began poking her in the ribs, drawing closer to the ticklish spot on her ribs. Stubborn, Videl fought hard to contain the giggles that threatened to burst forth from her lips with every poke. Soon her face was as red as a cherry due to her efforts and a giggle escaped. Like a cracked dam, that one giggle was the first of many that erupted from her body and soon she was struggling to breathe as Gohan began openly tickling her.

"Gohan! Stop!" she choked out between peals of laughter.

"I want my kiss," Gohan responded, climbing on top of her so that he straddled her hips. He nuzzled her neck, unfazed by her thrashing.

Eventually, Videl could take no more. "Fine!" she surrendered, taking a few precious breaths as he ceased his actions.

Gohan leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. He wasted no time slipping his tongue between her lips, hungrily taking in her essence. No matter how often he kissed her, each time felt like the first. Her taste was like a drug and he felt like he had to have a taste everyday for the rest of his life. Videl's eyes slipped shut as she pulled him closer to her by the back of his head. She was tempted to bite his tongue out of spite but it was too busy doing some delicious things to her mouth. Gohan's kisses made her forget that she was ever mad him. She moaned as she felt his hands trail down her sides and slip under her tank top. His strong fingers massaged the flesh of her flat stomach and grazed the undersides of her breasts, sparking a flame deep within her belly. Her left hand left the short hairs at the base of his skull for his toned torso. Gohan's breath hitched as her finger trailed lightly down his tight abs before hooking a finger in the waistband of his black boxers, pulling it down slowly, before letting it snap back into place.

He groaned as he pulled away from her. "Tease," he accused against her lips.

Videl raised an eyebrow as raised her leg so that her thigh was stroking his hardening member through his underwear. "Oh, sweetie. You haven't even begun to see me tease," she whispered seductively against his lips. "Goodnight love," she said, tossing his unsuspecting body off the bed and rolled over, leaving Gohan confused and aroused.

Gohan sat up, rubbing his head as he looked down at his tented boxers. He groaned in frustration, flinging his head back against Videl's mattress. He sat there for a moment, hoping his arousal would ebb but to no avail. _Looks like its back to the shower for me. _As his member twitched he added, '_Cold this time…'_

__888

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__Let me know what you think!


	34. Watching the Weaklings Suffer

Hey everyone. Once again thanks for your positive responses. It really means a lot. My creative juices seemed to have been flowing recently so here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy. I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**Gohan sat up, rubbing his head as he looked down at his tented boxers. He groaned in frustration, flinging his head back against Videl's mattress. He sat there for a moment, hoping his arousal would ebb but to no avail. Looks like its back to the shower for me. As his member twitched he added, 'Cold this time…'**_

* * *

_****_**Watching the Weaklings Suffer...  
**

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The next day, just as the sun was about to rise, all the students were jolted out of their slumber due to freezing water dripping from the ceiling. Apparently Goten and Trunks had somehow placed sprinklers in everyone's rooms without being noticed, using their responsibility of waking the class to try out a new prank. They had also brought Marron and Kiara along for the ride and the four of them stood in the hallway laughing their little butts off at the screams and expressions on the teenagers' faces.

"That was genius!" Goten squealed through his laughter as he high-fived Trunks.

"I know right? Did you see that guy's face?" Trunks laughed, slapping his thigh.

"No. Did you see mine?" a much deeper voice came from behind them.

The four children looked at each other in fright, knowing they were caught. Gulping, they slowly turned around to see a dripping wet Gohan and an equally drenched Mirai. Although Gohan's hair was unaffected, Mirai's hung limply over his eyes, its lavender color now seeming indigo instead. Both of them were wearing vicious scowls.

"Oh hey there guys! Didn't see you there!" Trunks chirped nervously as sweat beaded on his forehead. They were in deep shit and they knew it.

"Cut the crap. You two are going to spar with me, Gohan, Goku and Father this afternoon," Mirai growled, pointing at the boys. "And trust me, we are not going to go easy on you."

Goten scowled. "What about them?" he asked, pointing at the girls. "They were the ones who came up with the idea!"

Gohan just smiled back at the grinning girls. "Nice!" he said, giving them each a high-five.

Trunks and Goten just looked on, completely baffled. Their mouths opened and closed like a fish as they struggled for words. "B-b-but that's a double standard!" Trunks exclaimed, indignant.

Mirai just rolled his eyes at his younger counterpart. "One of the many evils in the world. Get used to it," he said unsympathetically as he and Gohan walked off to their respective rooms to get changed.

Goten and Trunks stared after their brothers' retreating backs in betrayal. When they were out of sight, they looked in resentment at the girls who were chatting nearby. "Traitors!" Goten accused.

Kiara just cocked her head to the side and blinked innocently at the martyred boys. "Well my daddy told me that that pino- pen- that dangly thing you have between your legs always gets you in trouble. I thought you guys knew that," she said, rolling her eyes.

Trunks closed his eyes and folded his arms haughtily. "It called a penis, stupid," he said condescendingly but his comment fell on deaf ears as Kiara had already chased after Marron.

Goten and Trunks just looked at each other before looking down their pants. Was that why they always got into trouble and Marron never did?

888

After breakfast, the class was assembled in the gym once again. Miss Wheeler along with Bulma, Krillen and Yamcha were at the front.

Clapping her hands loudly a couple times to grab the attention of the chatting students, Miss Wheeler began her announcement. "Alright, students! Take a seat! I hope you enjoyed your encounter with the wild. I know I enjoyed the spa treatment I received here!" she began enthusiastically, reveling in the jealous glares of her pupils. "Anyway, I have decided to allow you to increase your grade. You will write a paper on your experiences in the wild and anything you learned which would help you better survive should you be put into that situation again. This is _mandatory_ and I will boost your score by one letter grade. Of course, the students who received As for enduring the wild for the allotted time are exempt from this. Your papers are due by six o' clock this evening," she continued, oblivious to the groans of the students.

It was then that Bulma stepped up. "Well, I have some better news for you guys. I know this experience allowed many of you to form bonds with your classmates. We would know, we were watching you the whole time," she started, laughing at the incredulous looks on the teenagers' faces. "The kids decided that they wanted you guys to remember all the fun times you shared so they put together a little video," she concluded as a large white screen descended from the ceiling of the room.

The lights dimmed and a picture appeared on the screen, gradually darkening until it was perfectly visible. The students looked at each other in confusion at the caption which read, 'WATCHING THE WEAKLINGS SUFFER: a motion picture by Goten Son and Trunks Briefs.'

Bulma glared at the screen before covering her face in embarrassment. _I knew I should have looked it over! It's too bad those brats aren't here so I can wring their little necks!_ Gohan, Mirai and Lime just smirked at each other. This was bound to be interesting.

As the caption faded into the background, Trunks appeared on the screen, decked out in Safari gear. He was standing in the bushes, looking out into the vast forest at nothing in particular. Looking back at the camera, he began speaking using his best Australian accent. "Today, we are going through the forest watching an age old phenomenon: the weakling," he said as the camera zoomed in on a bald jock, falling face-first into a fresh pile of dinosaur dung, "vs the wild," he continued as the camera zoomed out to capture the enormity of the forest.

"From the beginning of time, the weakling had to learn how to survive in the wild. Now, mostly due to my grandpa, it's been many years since the weakling has had to deal with the wild. With electricity, cPods, Capsule computers and hover-cars, the weakling lost the ability to survive," he narrated. "In an experiment concocted by the diabolical minds of Bulma Briefs and Chi Chi Son, thirty weakling teenagers from a local high school would be sacrificed to the wild. The generous donor: Orange Star High School. Bribed with the prospect of living in luxury while their charges attempted to survive on their own, they readily agreed to this experiment, disguising it as a field trip."

The students looked at each other and murmured in bewilderment. This was all some sort of sick joke? Mirai, Lime and Gohan were nowhere near surprised. They had figured as much the day the trip was proposed.

"Although the masterminds desperately wanted to, they couldn't send the weaklings out without at least training them on wilderness survival in fear of lawsuits. So they summoned Krillen and Yamcha, former WMAT competitors who so happened to be doing nothing for a few days to train the hopeless things," he continued as the camera switched to the jocks on Gohan's team passed out on the floor. "Yet, there seemed to be hope," Trunks continued as the camera focused on Videl and Sharpner running a few paces behind Gohan and Mirai. "Perhaps they were not all weaklings."

"Their trainers taught the weaklings the basics of survival: how to build a shelter, how to look for food, what they should and shouldn't eat. Each person was even allowed to bring along an item that would help them survive. They were pretty much given a road map but with idiots like this," Trunks said as the camera moved on to the hairspray and mirror that one group brought along, "We can expect some very close calls," he concluded as the screen faded to black.

The screen came to life once again, the surroundings being the outside of the castle. Trunks held on to his hat as the camera turned to face him and the hovercraft the students were boarding. "It's day 1. The weaklings have been prepared as best as possible and are now boarding the copter that will take them to their camping sites. This will be the last live broadcast as we'll have to switch to the cameras in the jungle for commentary," he said as the copter took off. The screen faded to black once again.

"The weaklings are now searching in desperation for somewhere to shelter," Trunks said as the camera captured students running from caves, angry bats chasing them. A short clip of a group trying and failing miserably to build a hut also played.

"Those who managed began looking for food and not all were willing to share," Trunks narrated as the camera shifted to Sharpner begging Erasa for an apple before being pepper sprayed.

"Others tried to light fires to keep themselves warm and to cook what game they were able to find," Trunks continued as the camera zoomed in on Mirai trying to light a fire with little success.

Mirai glared at the screen as a caption rolled across the bottom of the screen. 'Disclaimer: neither I nor the producer, Goten, believe that Mirai Briefs, Gohan Son nor Lime Mizuki are weaklings. Any references are for continuity's sake. We apologize for any inconvenience caused,' it read. This only caused Mirai to glare harder and Gohan and Lime to erupt into a fit of laughter at the embarrassment on his face.

"Some even managed to meet old friends," Trunks continued as the camera captured Gohan being tackled to the ground by Icarus.

"Day 2: Thirteen of our fifteen groups of weaklings remain. The other two had managed to set their campsite on fire and so had to be rescued because they didn't have the common sense to run. No one told them adding dry leaves to a fire does not extinguish it. Poor fools," Trunks went on.

"Day 3: Nine groups remain. All seemed tranquil. Some were taking the time out to train," he said showing Gohan and Videl sparring. "While others took the time to conquer their weakling fears." A clip of Sharpner bonding with Kero showed up. "Little did they know that mother nature was plotting against them," he said conspiratorially as the thunder clouds rolled over the forest. "Some hunkered down and made it through. Others were not so lucky." Clips of Mirai and Lime getting lost in the storm along with students who had managed to get chased by bears, washed down the river, stuck in a tree among many, many others. "In the chaos, one of the groups managed to rescue a cute little girl-" Trunks began before he was cut off by a giggling Gohan.

"Trunks likes a girl! Trunks likes a girl!" Goten's voice sang from behind the camera.

Trunks glared at the camera. "I do not!" he retorted, a blush adorning his cheeks.

"Do too!" Goten cheekily responded. "Trunks and Kiara sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-" Goten never got to finish his song as the camera captured nothing but the blue sky. "What did you do _that_ for?" was the last thing the camera captured before the screen became snow.

The entire class watched, stunned at the scene that unfolded while Mirai, Lime, Erasa, Sharpner and Videl laughed at Trunks' predicament. Gohan on the other hand was not amused. He scowled at the screen. He loved Trunks to death but if he dared approach his little girl in an even slightly sexual way he was going to kill him.

The screen came back to life a few minutes later. Instead of Trunks, Goten appeared on the screen, nursing a rather large bump on his head. "Sorry about that. Anyway, only 1, 2, 3 groups made it to through the night. What happened after that was just boring kissy-kissy stuff. And my brother falling flat on his butt but I don't think he'd want me to show you that. Any ways they made it to the end of the week and here we are today! Thanks for watching everyone!" Goten rambled on as the screen faded to black.

The students looked at each other in bewilderment, total silence in the room before one student started clapping. Then another joined him. Soon the entire class broke into loud applause. "OMG it was like we were on a reality show or something! That's so cool!" a cheerleader said. The class broke into even louder applause at that as yells of agreement filled the previously silent room.

A shy boy raised his hand.

"Yes Yoshi," Miss Wheeler answered.

"S-so did we have to do all of that just so you could laugh at us?" he asked timidly.

The teacher nodded. "Of course!" she answered, chuckling. "That's half the fun of teaching. Why do you think we teach you calculus?"

The stunned boy could not respond.

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Let me know what you think!


	35. The Princess and the Fraud

Hey guys back again with another chapter. It's not very long but what the heck? Thanks for all the reviews! I don't own DBZ.

**_Last Time..._**

_**A shy boy raised his hand.**_

_**"Yes Yoshi," Miss Wheeler answered.**_

_**"S-so did we have to do all of that just so you could laugh at us?" he asked timidly.**_

_**The teacher nodded. "Of course!" she answered, chuckling. "That's half the fun of teaching. Why do you think we teach you calculus?"**_

_**The stunned boy could not respond.**_

* * *

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The next morning, the students were rewarded with yet another fun-filled day at the pool. However, soon it was time for them to go.

"On behalf of the Orange Star High School I would like to thank both Mrs. Briefs and the Royal Family for allowing us to stay here. It has been a great experience and I'm sure one the kids will remember," Miss Wheeler spoke, bowing.

Bulma and Chi Chi bowed back politely. "It has been a pleasure having them here," Bulma responded.

"Class," chided Miss Wheeler. "Why don't you say thank you and goodbye to your hostesses?"

Unianimously the class responded with a chorus of 'thank you's' and 'see ya's'. Grabbing their packed bags, everyone but our favorite teenagers piled into the bus not very excited for the three hour bus ride home. Gohan had promised to get his friends home the next day. With it being a Friday, why not have a movie night? Erasa and Sharpner's parents agreed readily to the idea, glad that their children were getting to spend some time with their friends. Videl's dad on the other hand was not so easily enthralled, especially when he found out that they were staying at a boy's house.

"But dad! Erasa and Sharpner are here too! They always stay over at our house!" Videl tried to reason.

"I said no, Videl! I've let Sharpner stay over when I'm here to keep an eye on him. I don't know this boy. It's only because this field trip counted towards your grade why I let you go in the first place. You know all boys want is to get into your pants! And you know you can't date anyone who's not stronger than me! Haha haha haha!" Hercule boasted, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"But Gohan's not like that! And he is pretty strong!" Videl tried to defend. She knew that Gohan was a lot stronger than her father but as Gohan had not yet told Erasa and Sharpner about his secret, she wasn't about to disclose that information.

"Don't be silly sweatpea! No one's stronger than me and you know it! Now come on home like a good little girl and play with your dolls or something!" Hercule said dismissively.

Videl fumed. That just went to show how much her father really knew her. She had not played with a doll since the day her mother left. He was so controlling!

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Gohan grabbed the phone from Videl and followed his mom's ki signature to the kitchen, the girl practically running to keep up with his long strides. With annoyance written all over his face, he handed the phone to his mother. She was crazy at times but there were times when her episodes worked to his advantage. "It's Videl's father. He refuses to let her stay the night," he explained briefly before standing back and watching the magic.

"Hello," Chi Chi said, sounding abnormally calm.

"Who is this?" Hercule shouted.

"This is Gohan's mother," Chi Chi responded, still unfazed.

"Well _Godat's mother_," Hercule sneered. "My daughter will not be staying with your puny son tonight. I will not have him take my daughter's virginity. Imagine what the headlines would read. Having a slut for a daughter just wouldn't do. I'm sure you understand."

That last condescending comment flew Chi Chi off her handle. "Look, _Mr. World Champion._ I don't know who you think you are talking to but my son, _Gohan_, is one of the smartest and strongest people on this planet. You might remember him from when he was a child at the Cell Games. Blonde hair, teal eyes, kicked that overgrown grasshoppers ass? Don't you remember?" Chi Chi simpered as the fraud on the other end went completely silent, save for a very audible gulp. "You see your daughter knows all about your little lie. How you laughed at my child's tears for watching his father nearly get taken away from him. How you ridiculed my husband for doing what you couldn't dream to do. It's only because I want my sons to have as normal a life as possible that I have not already exposed you and taken every last penny you own. Do _not_ make me change my mind," Chi Chi ended before hanging up the phone abruptly.

A bright smile then crossed Chi Chi's face. "Oh here you go sweetie," she said, handing Videl's cell phone back to her, oblivious to the dumbstruck expression on the dark-haired teen's face. "You kids have a good time!"

The two teenagers stared after the Son matriarch as she disappeared down the corridor; one with a large grin on his face while the other still looked on in disbelief. "H-how did she _do _that?" Videl asked, with more than just a hint of admiration.

"My mom will get anything she sets her mind to. It's an immutable law of nature," Gohan replied simply, scratching the back of his neck in the Son manner.

Shaking her head as if to clear it, Videl followed Gohan to the den where their friends were waiting. They had already picked out the movies they were going to watch that night and were waiting patiently for the couple.

"What took you so long?" Mirai asked, wrapping an arm carelessly around Lime's shoulders.

"Videl's dad was being a bit difficult. But no worries, mom managed to convince him to let her stay," Gohan supplied.

Lime snorted. "Damn! You had to sick your mom on him?" she asked incredulously as she tried to picture the expression on Hercule's face after receiving a tongue-lashing from Chi Chi.

Gohan just shrugged and took his place next to Videl as the movie began.

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By the time the credits rolled, most of the Z senshi had left. Gohan stretched and went past the foyer to see his father carrying a sleeping Kiara over one shoulder and a softly snoring Goten on the other. In the day or so that Kiara had known him, she had fallen in love with her new grandfather and was slowly starting to come to terms with her grandmother. Chi Chi stood, clutching her husband's shoulder, preparing herself for instant transmission.

"I think we're going to head home now," Goku said quietly not wanting to wake the sleeping children. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight son."

"You better start working on some more grandbabies for me while we're gone," Chi Chi, oh-so-subtly hinted.

"Mom!" Gohan whined, embarrassed but his family had already disappeared before his eyes.

"H-how did he do that?" a voice came from behind him.

Gohan turned around to face a stunned Sharpner and an equally astonished Erasa. Gohan waited for the panic he would expect upon knowing that even more humans had discovered his secrets. Yet, none of it came. Gohan realized he trusted the blonde couple almost as well as he trusted Lime. He just knew they wouldn't tell anyone. Grinning at them he supplied, "We have a _lot_ to talk about."

Three hours later, Gohan sat back looking at the dubious expressions on Erasa and Sharpner's faces. They were both blinking rapidly as if that would aid them in processing the new information faster. Lime and Videl just looked on in amusement. Was that what they looked like when Gohan had first told them? Mirai was also smirking with mirth at the blonde teens. Of course he couldn't really get a sense of what they were feeling. This life, after all, was all he knew.

"S-so-so you're telling me that y-you're some sort of alien with superpowers? You're the Gold Fighter?" Sharpner shrieked, still trying to wrap his mind around it.

Gohan just smiled and shrugged, "Yeah," he replied simply.

In a heartbeat a broad grin crossed Sharpner's face. "That is _awesome_ dude!" he exclaimed, giving his friend a high-five.

Gohan gave yet another Son grin. "Well, I guess now the secrets out, we can up your training. That is, if you're still up to it?" Gohan proposed.

Sharpner stared at him wide-eyed. "You mean I can learn all these things?" he asked hopefully.

Gohan nodded in affirmation. "Yeah. You won't be as strong as I am but definitely a lot stronger than you are now," he clarified.

Videl looked despondent at hearing her boyfriend's proposal. She had thought that him teaching her how to fly was going to be special. Something just for the two of them. But now he seemed to be offering his services to everybody. Some secret it was now. "I'm going to bed," she said shortly, walking up the stairs and ignoring the confused looks pointing her way.

"What's with _her_?" the still ecstatic Sharpner asked.

888

Not much later, Gohan came into the room and headed straight to Videl who was quite obviously feigning sleep. "Don't bother trying that on me. I know you're awake," he said firmly, causing the blue eyes girl to roll over and look at him, eyes ablaze.

"What's wrong?" Gohan asked gently.

That simple question seemed to set Videl off immediately. "What's wrong? What's wrong is that you make it such a big dela for me to keep this _secret_ of yours and now you go blabbing it to everybody! What's next? Are you going to show Erasa how to erect a ki shield around her so her hair doesn't get ruined?" she accused scathingly.

Gohan's eyes hardened as his jaw squared. He turned away from her and paced the room, trying desperately not to smash something. Pinching his nose he whirled around to face her once more. "That's not fair," he said, his voice deeper than usual, reflecting his anger.

Videl's mouth opened to respond but Gohan beat her to the chase. "Look. In case you haven't noticed Erasa and Sharpner had been my friends before you would even say a friendly word to me. Forgive me, your highness if I chose to trust them with _my_ secret," he said giving her a mock bow. "And maybe I will just teach Erasa to do just that. The reason we don't broadcast our abilities to the world is because the world has a hard time accepting them, not because we want to keep these techniques to ourselves!"

Videl looked down at her sheets in embarrassment, unable to contradict what was said. He was right. It was his secret. He had never said that it wouldn't involve anyone else. He only made her promise that she wouldn't tell anyone but he obviously could tell anyone he so chose. She was being jealous and pathetically so. After all, he was training Sharpner before he had begun training her. Who was she to keep her friend from something that would only edify him?

"I'm sorry," she said in a small voice, sniffling as tears began to prick at her eyes.

Gohan's steely visafe instantly crumbled into one of concern. Tilting her chin so she looked him in the eyes he wiped her tears away. "Come on, Vi," he pleaded. "You know I hate to see you cry."

Videl wiped angrily at her tears, cursing them as they rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I just felt like you were replacing me."

Gohan smiled gently at her, wiping away the fresh tears before leaning in and giving her a gentle, chaste kiss. Looking her straight in the eyes he vowed, "I promise I won't leave you for Sharpner. He's not my type anyway."

A watery smile grew on Videl's face as she realized how ridiculous she sounded. _Erasa was right. Love makes you do some stupid things._

"Are we ok?" Gohan asked hesitantly.

Videl leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss. "Definitely," she responded when they pulled away minutes later.

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Let me know what you think!


	36. Only Sharpner

Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay. Thanks so much for the reviews. They're very much appreciated. You all know that I don't own DBZ.

_**Last time...**_

_**Gohan smiled gently at her, wiping away the fresh tears before leaning in and giving her a gentle, chaste kiss. Looking her straight in the eyes he vowed, "I promise I won't leave you for Sharpner. He's not my type anyway."**_

_**A watery smile grew on Videl's face as she realized how ridiculous she sounded. Erasa was right. Love makes you do some stupid things.**_

_**"Are we ok?" Gohan asked hesitantly.**_

_**Videl leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss. "Definitely," she responded when they pulled away minutes later.**_

* * *

_****_**Only Sharpner...  
**

888

Sharpner gave a small snore and stirred as he felt his girlfriend burrow deeper into his muscled chest. He smiled against her blonde hair and wrapped his arms tighter around her waist. It seemed like all was right in the world. The love of his life was lying in his arms, his single bed more than big enough for the two of them given their proximity. Giving a wide yawn he settled down, ready to get a few more hours of sleep.

The peace didn't last long as he suddenly found himself on the floor, the blonde girl ripped from his arms. The now short-haired blond's eyes flew open as he looked around him in alarm and just a hint of anger. Whoever did this had better have a damn good reason. A glower crossed his face as he saw Gohan above him, already dressed in his gi, a bright smile on his face.

"What the hell dude?" Sharpner said in a harsh whisper, not wanting to wake the still sleeping Erasa. He took a glance at the clock and his scowl became even deeper when he realized what time it was. It was barely 4:30 a.m. It should be illegal for anyone to have to get up this early!

"Rise and shine, Blondie!" Gohan grinned, getting some sick pleasure out of torturing the blonde. "I've already let you sleep in an extra hour. We've got training to do!"

Sharpner just glared at him and gave him the finger.

"Come on we have to beat the sun! You have five minutes to meet me in the front courtyard. Videl's already there waiting for us," Gohan instructed and left the room.

The disgruntled blonde stared at the closing door, cursing the Son boy in all the ways his groggy mind could muster. Sighing, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and stumbled to his feet in search of a training outfit. Why did he even sign up for this?

Five minutes later, as promised, the blonde went out to the courtyard where he met Videl and Gohan stretching. It didn't take long for the other male to notice him.

"Took you long enough," Gohan chirped, way too happy for this god-forsaken hour. "How about you get in some stretches? We have a hard day ahead of us."

Sharpner grimaced and obeyed, taking some satisfaction in noting Videl's sleepy expression. It seemed that he wasn't the only one who objected to this injustice.

About ten minutes later, everyone was done stretching and the two students looked to their sensei for instruction.

"Well today we're going to work on getting Sharpner to use his ki. Videl, why don't you go and work on your floating?" Gohan suggested.

Videl nodded her affirmation while Sharpner gave a sheepish smile. "Actually, Gohan. There was something I wasn't telling you earlier," he offered.

Both dark-haired teenagers looked at him in interest, their expressions all the permission Sharpner needed to continue his statement.

"I think I've already used it before," Sharpner said, to the shock of both Videl and Gohan.

Gohan was impressed and slightly relieved that he mightn't have to conduct two different classes. Videl on the other hand was absolutely furious. How was it that it took her so long to be able to master her ki yet Sharpner did it with absolutely no instruction? How was he so much stronger than her? She knew now that her father was not the strongest in the world but she earned her reputation as the strongest in the Junior World Martial Arts Tournament without her father's help. It hurt to know that Sharpner, who always had to look up to her, was now surpassing her. But she knew she would show him. She would train her butt off and prove that she, Videl Satan, was stronger.

'_Here we go again with being a brat_,' a voice sounded inside Videl's head.

'I'm not a brat!' Videl thought back, giving a menacing scowl.

'_Of course you are! Your friend is finally doing well and all you can think about is bringing him back under your boot! Why can't you be happy for him? Why do you have to make everything a competition?' _the voice argued.

'It's not fair!' Videl shot back.

'_How so? Because daddy's little girl isn't getting what she wanted? What kind of friend are you?' _the voice retorted before it left Videl with a lot of questions on her mind. The voice was right. At the moment she was in no competition with Sharpner. Yet it seemed that she had the innate need to prove herself to the world and to herself. Gohan already thought she was strong. But was that enough for her?

"That's great, Sharpner," Gohan said. "But how exactly have you been using it?"

"Well," Sharpner began. "I haven't been using it per se. It's just that once or twice in the last couple weeks after I trained a light beam would come out of my hands and destroy the punching bag. It's just something that happens randomly. I never mentioned it because Hercule always said it was a trick. I just didn't know what to do so I kept it to myself."

Gohan grinned. "Well, I think it's because when I train you, I force you to channel your ki to enhance your punches. I guess your body figured out how to turn your ki into a physical form. That's awesome though. I think being able to control it will come easier for you," he encouraged.

Sharpner grinned while Videl shot him the best smile she could manage before walking off to practice her floating. As the dark-haired girl left, Sharpner's grin fell. "Hey man, do you think she's ok with this?" Sharpner asked worriedly. "I mean, I don't mind doing it another time."

Gohan regarded Sharpner seriously. "It's ok. I did this on purpose. She needs to learn to play well with others. If she wants to develop as a martial artist she has to learn from her peers as well as her sensei. Plus a little competition would be good for both of you," he said.

Sharpner smirked. "But I'm guessing you didn't tell her any of that," he said.

Gohan smirked back. "Nope," he said saking his head. "Now let's get to it. She's still ahead of you."

With a firm nod, Sharpner stood erect in front of Gohan waiting for further instruction.

"Come with me," Gohan said as he lead the way into the forest. Sharpner followed him wordlessly practically shaking in excitement. He was about to learn to fly! How awesome was that? After about ten minutes of walking, they stopped in a small clearing. Sharpner copied Gohan as he sat on the grass facing the dark-haired boy.

"Now ki is quite simply your life energy. Everything has one; even plants. Like I said before you already tap into your ki subconsciously when you box so what we're going to do today is try to find it so you can bring it out at will. To fly, you simply need to push your ki under you. So really the hard part is finding it in the first place," Gohan said, producing a small ki ball as he spoke.

Sharpner looked at it in wonder. That was freaking amazing! "So how do I find my ki?" he asked.

Gohan smirked at him. "Meditation," he answered simply.

Sharpner regarded him dubiously. He had always been taught that meditation was for wimps. But then again, he was also taught that Hercule was the strongest person on the planet and that aliens didn't exist. Who knew it was that simple? Getting up, he assumed one of the strange poses he had seen in old martial arts movies. He was standing on one leg as the other pointed straight forward. His arms were bent upwards at the elbows while his middle fingers and thumbs crossed each other. "Ohmmmmm…..Ohmmmmmm….Ohm- huh?" he hummed but was interrupted by Gohan who gave him a tap on the shoulder trying desperately not to laugh. This action not only interrupted his 'meditation' session but also made him lose his balance as he fell flat on his face at Gohan's feet.

Sharpner's little slip up was all it took for Gohan to lose control as he began laughing hysterically. The blond boy sat up and glared at him clearly not amused. "Ha ha very funny," he said dryly as he waited for his friend to calm himself down.

"Sorry," Gohan guffawed. "It's just…haha…where did you learn that?"

Sharpner blushed and muttered under his breath, "Old movie." He internally slapped himself. He should have known those poses were useless. But they seemed so serious about them in the movies.

Gohan just rolled his eyes and chuckled. "You want to sit like this," Gohan said, showing him the proper seating position. "And you don't have to do that weird humming thing. Just close your eyes, tune out everything and focus on finding your energy. It might take a while but I know you can do it."

Sharpner blushed again before obeying Gohan's instructions. He closed his eyes then everything went blank.

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_Three hours later…_

Gohan had been traveling back and forth between his students making sure they got the instruction and the time they needed to accomplish their objectives for the day. Videl had gotten the hang of flying and could now travel short distances. Sharpner had yet to find his ki but from his estimates was pretty close. The Son boy now lay on the grass near Sharpner, idly tossing a ki ball in the air. For now, neither student needed his help so he was feeling rather bored. Soon, drowsiness overtook him and the dark-haired teenager was fast asleep.

Sharpner sat on the ground Indian style. He had no idea how long he was sitting in this position but right now he could care less. He could actually kind of see his ki! It was like a light green ball somewhere in his mind's eye. '_Come on now. Come to papa'_ he beckoned it. He was determined to access his ki by the day's end. To his surprise, the ball floated over to him and landed straight in his palms. His eyes snapped open as he felt warmth in his hands. There is was! The green ball was just sitting there looking it up at him. Well, it wasn't really 'looking' anywhere but it was there. A loud whoop escaped his lips as excitement overtook him.

Gohan shot up upon hearing a loud yell next to him. He looked around in alarm only to see Sharpner grinning from ear to ear as he cradled a light green ball of energy in his hands. Upon seeing Gohan, the blond boy got up and tackled his friend to the ground as the ball fizzled out. "I did it!" he said triumphantly as he got up off the stunned Gohan.

Gohan could only smile at his friend's antics. "Great job Blondie!" he complimented. "How do you feel?"

Sharpner's grin did not fail one bit. "I feel great!" he yelled, running around in circles like a little boy.

Seeing no sign of tiredness from the blond, Gohan got him to sit down before he gave him his next instruction. "So now, you're going to bring out your ki again but you have to push it under you," Gohan said.

Still giddy, Sharpner forced himself to calm down as he assumed his earlier position. In about twenty minutes he was able to bring his ki out through his hands and eventually was able to push it under him so he was floating about 6 feet off the ground. He looked down at Gohan in wonder. "Oh my Kami, I'm freaking doing it!" he yelled.

"Good job, Sharpie," Gohan encouraged, amazed at the speed with which Sharpner was learning this. He could tell Videl wasn't going to be too happy once she found out. "Now bring yourself down slowly. We don't want you to overexert yourself."

"Okay, mom," Sharpner pouted and brought himself down to a sitting position once more.

"I think we're good for today. Let's go get Videl and head home," Gohan suggested. However, he got no response from his friend. "Blondie?" he asked with a hint of worry. Upon still receiving no response, Gohan raced over to his friend and shook his unconscious body. "Sharpner!" he yelled at him, almost in a panic. He knew he was learning this too quickly. Was he taking from his core energy? Why did he let him continue?

Throwing his friend over his shoulder, Gohan took to the air racing for home when suddenly the blond let out a huge snore. Gohan froze in midair from both shock and relief. And to think he was actually worried about him. He shook his head and chuckled. Only Sharpner…

888

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Yeah I know it's short but review anyway please?


	37. Lunch With The Sons

Hey everyone. Thanks so much for the reviews and I'm sorry for the delay. I don't own DBZ.

**_Last time..._**

_**"I think we're good for today. Let's go get Videl and head home," Gohan suggested. However, he got no response from his friend. "Blondie?" he asked with a hint of worry. Upon still receiving no response, Gohan raced over to his friend and shook his unconscious body. "Sharpner!" he yelled at him, almost in a panic. He knew he was learning this too quickly. Was he taking from his core energy? Why did he let him continue?**_

_**Throwing his friend over his shoulder, Gohan took to the air racing for home when suddenly the blond let out a huge snore. Gohan froze in midair from both shock and relief. And to think he was actually worried about him. He shook his head and chuckled. Only Sharpner…**_

* * *

_****_**Lunch With The Sons...  
**

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By the time the four teenagers had made it back to the Summer Palace, Mirai, Lime and Erasa were already up and had just finished breakfast.

"Oh my Kami! What happened to him?" Erasa asked, seeing Sharpner unconscious, slung over Gohan's shoulder.

Gohan smiled in reassurance. "He's fine," he said. "I think he just went a little too hard on himself. He'll be up in a couple of hours. I'm going to put him to bed."

"Ok," Erasa said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'm coming too," she continued, following Gohan up the stairs.

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The five teens had spent the rest of their morning watching movies as they waited for their fallen comrade to wake up. The credits were just about rolling for their last movie when Sharpner stumbled into the room, still in his soiled gi, his face puffy and his hair in a total mess.

"Oh hey babe!" Erasa chirped, giggling at his grogginess. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over by a truck and starved for a week," Sharpner grumbled with a slight smile, remembering what he had accomplished. "Totally worth it though."

"Well, my mom wanted us to come over for lunch. Are you guys up to it?" Gohan asked.

The group responded in various affirmations, none of them wanting to pass up Chi Chi's cooking.

"Alright then. How about we leave in an hour or so?" Gohan suggested.

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Approximately one hour later at the Son household, Chi Chi stood at the stove as she finished up her last pot of dumplings. As she bent over to taste one she felt two strong arms snake around her waist. The sinewy arms and strong scent of the forest were all the indication she needed to know it was her husband. She leaned back into his chest as he nuzzled her neck where he had bit her twenty years before. Goku had been working hard in his lab most of the morning, but obviously his stomach was telling him it was time for lunch. Reaching over her shoulder, the oldest Son took a hold of the spoon in her hand and dipped it onto the pot. Scooping out a dumpling, he blew on it lightly, cooling the nugget while at the same time igniting a fire in Chi Chi's belly as his breath caressed her earlobe. He held the cooled dumpling to her lips allowing her to take a bite before he consumed the other half.

"This is absolutely delicious Chi," he whispered in her ear, never relinquishing his hold on her waist.

Chi Chi could care less what he thought of her cooking right now. She was more focused on his hand that had now dipped below her waist and was now slipping between the folds of her kimono. Gasping as his hand trailed slowly over the top of her panties, Chi Chi forced herself to still her husband's roaming hands.

"Goku-sa," she reprimanded breathlessly. "They're going to be here any moment!"

Goku responded by spinning his wife around, picking her up by the backs of her thighs and crushing his lips to hers. He led her over to the counter, seating her on it and placing himself between her thighs. He wasted no time taking a hold of her breasts, caressing them through her kimono. She moaned heavily, never tiring of the wonderful things her husband's hands did to her body. His hands slipped to her waist as hers played with the button on his jeans.

And that was exactly how Gohan found them as he followed his nose into the kitchen. Gohan could only hold his head and look away. "Dad! Really?" he asked exasperatedly. He was so happy he had left his friends in the living room. They did _not _need to see this.

"You know Gohan, if we never did this, you wouldn't be here," Goku said in a sing-song voice.

"Dad, how many times do I have to tell you _I do not want to know ANYTHING about your sex life_?!" Gohan said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well, you better take notes for when you give me my grandchildren!" Chi Chi piped.

Gohan rolled his eyes. "I'm leaving. Meet us in the living room," he said in annoyance.

The Son parents looked at each other, a wicked glint in their eyes. Gigggling, Chi Chi jumped off the counter and dragged her chuckling husband to their bedroom.

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Gohan walked into the living room, muttering to himself. His parents were the worst. Well…that's what he thought until he saw Lime and Mirai showing an album of his baby pictures to Videl, Sharpner and Erasa.

"Really guys?!" he asked in frustration as they cooed/laughed at a picture of a pint sized Gohan chowing down on a sandwich roughly his size. The caption below the picture read: _Looks like Gohan's hungry_. Turning the page, a picture showed little Gohan with his face covered in crumbs. The group burst into laughter as they read the caption below: _Thirty seconds later._

"Damn Nerd Boy!" Sharpner chocked out through his laughter. "Even as a kid you were like that?"

Gohan just shot him a dirty look.

They turned the next page and saw Gohan at about age four dressed in a green tunic over a black body suit, yellow boots, a black belt with a gold buckle and an orange helmet with antennae attached to it. He was standing a strange pose. He was squatting, bending over forward at the waist, his arms straight out at his sides. His face was the acme of seriousness. The caption below and the ridiculous costume negated that look in a heartbeat though. _I am the champion of love and justice! I am the Great Saiyaman! Costume designed by Saiyaman himself._

The group could hold their laughter in no more. Everyone was literally rolling on the floor laughing their asses off.

"Hardy har har," Gohan remarked dryly with a scowl on his face. Was everyone out to embarrass him today?

Videl slapped him on the shoulder, leaning against him for support as her giggles subsided. "Boy am I glad you decided to stick with the Gold Fighter. If you had shown up as Singingman nobody would take you seriously!" she laughed.

"It's Saiyaman!" Gohan corrected a little too quickly, blushing immediately when everyone turned around to look at him.

"Oh my Kami! He still thinks it's cool!" Sharpner chortled.

"No I don't!" Gohan retorted unconvincingly, his face still cherry red.

"I know he does," Lime pitched in, adding to Gohan's embarrassment.

Grabbing the album, Gohan slammed it shut. "Alright. That's enough!" he said. Turning to Mirai and Lime he said in a sickly sweet tone, "I'll be sure to return the favour."

Right then, Chi Chi walked into the room, closely followed by Goku, both of them wearing very satisfied grins. "Hello, everyone!" she said warmly. "Welcome to our home!"

The three visitors grinned and bowed politely. They marveled at the size of the house. Knowing they were freaking loaded, they could barely believe they lived in such a small house. By no means was it tiny but it was no mansion. Immediately Videl took a liking to it. She hated the vast maze of a house she lived in. She found this house much more practical.

"I don't mean to be rude, Mrs Son but why do you live here when you have a whole palace with servants to take care of it?" Erasa asked meekly, hoping not to offend the couple.

To her relief, Chi Chi just grinned. "We don't care very much for the extravagance. I wanted Goten and Gohan to grow up with as much of a normal childhood as possible, well given their heritage. Plus I had been pampered my whole life. I like the idea of managing my own affairs. You know my Goku built it all himself. Took him nearly a year," Chi Chi said fondly.

Ever the romantic, Erasa asked, "So how did you guys meet? Were you set up? Or were you a prince Mr. Son?"

Goku smiled. "Oh! Far from it! I was a poor kid and an orphan at that. I didn't have much more than the clothes on my back. I actually ran into her by accident and helped her when the castle and the surrounding village were under attack. Next thing I knew she was following me wherever I went and made me promise I'd marry her. I should say we were about twelve at the time. I agreed having never heard the term before and thought it was food. We met again at the world martial arts tournament when we were eighteen and she held me to my promise. The rest is history," he recounted.

"That's so romantic!" Erasa gushed. "It was like you were meant to be!"

"There's no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with," Chi Chi agreed.

Right on cue, both Goku, Gohan and Mirai's stomachs growled loudly causing everyone else in the room to roll their eyes.

"Well let's get these boys fed. Goku, why don't you help me bring out the food and Gohan, you take your friends to the patio." Chi Chi requested. Going to the front door Chi Chi took a deep breath before yelling at the top of her lungs, "Goten! Trunks! Lunch time!"

There was a slight rumbling in the forest before two blurs appeared which solidified to form the little boys. Erasa, Sharpner and Videl's mouths open in shock. How could two little boys run so fast? They knew they were alien but still...

"Go on and sit with your brothers. Lunch will be ready soon," the Son matriarch instructed.

In a few minutes, everyone was seated at the rather large table aside from Goku and Chi Chi who were bringing platter after platter of steaming hot and delicious-smelling food.

"M-Mrs Son!" Videl exclaimed in surprise. "You did this all yourself?"

Chi Chi waved a hand dismissively at her. "Oh this is nothing sweetie. And just call me mom," Chi Chi said with a wink.

Videl was taken aback for a second before a sad look took over her face as memories of her own mother flooded her. She knew the Son woman meant no harm by the statement but it didn't make it hurt any less. Feeling tears prickling at her eyes she asked to be excused to the bathroom and took off at a breakneck speed.

The frying pan immediately came down on Gohan's head. "Go after her!" Chi Chi screamed at her older son, not caring much about the pain she just put him through. Obediently, Gohan followed after her. He didn't even think she knew where the bathroom was.

"Does this mean she's going to be my new sister?" Goten asked, scratching his head at the events that just unfolded.

Trunks slapped the dark haired boy upside the head. "Of course, you idiot. Gohan's going to marry her just like Mirai married Lime!" Trunks said in a matter-of-fact tone, only to receive a frying pan to the head for fighting.

Mirai and Lime looked around desperately for a means of escape. They could tell this was _not _going to end well.

Goten smirked at his friend holding down the welt that was forming in the middle of his head. "Mirai and Lime never got married!" he protested.

"Dad said they did! He said they bonded when they had sex," Trunks spouted, causing Lime and Mirai to spit their drink out across the table at the gossiping boys. At that, Goku and Chi Chi whirled around to face the beet-red teenagers. They knew they had gone off screen for a night and most of a day but Chi Chi never expected they would do _that_ before they were married. Thought started flying through the mother's head. Were Gohan and Videl having sex as well? No, not her little boy. She raised him better than that. Mirai on the other hand… well he had Vegeta for a father.

Just as Chi Chi began to calm herself down the little boys turned to her. "What's sex?" they asked in unision.

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Review?


	38. The Talk

Hello everyone. My creative juices are kinda running low so any suggestions you guys have for the story are welcome. Sorry for this crappy chapter. I don't own DBZ.

**_Last Time..._**

_**"Dad said they did! He said they bonded when they had sex," Trunks spouted, causing Lime and Mirai to spit their drink out across the table at the gossiping boys. At that, Goku and Chi Chi whirled around to face the beet-red teenagers. They knew they had gone off screen for a night and most of a day but Chi Chi never expected they would do that before they were married. Thoughts started flying through the mother's head. Were Gohan and Videl having sex as well? No, not her little boy. She raised him better than that. Mirai on the other hand… well he had Vegeta for a father.**_

_**Just as Chi Chi began to calm herself down the little boys turned to her. "What's sex?" they asked in unision.**_

* * *

**The Talk...  
**

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Gohan walked through the house, following Videl's familiar ki. As she had no idea where the bathroom was, she had retreated to the first room she could find with a closable door. That room so happened to be his bedroom. He tried the door hoping she hadn't locked it only for it to give away easily in his hands. 'That was easy,' he mused. He was instantly proven wrong as the second he set foot in the room he heard the sound of a door closing and a lock clicking shut. _Damn_. She had retreatred to his adjoining bathroom. Sighing, he knocked once calling her name out gently. He could have easily broken down the door but didn't feel like dealing with the tongue and pan lashing he would receive from his mom if he did. Internally, he berated himself for not telling his mom that mentioning Videl's mother was a touchy subject. He still didn't know what became of her. From the little information he had gleaned from sparse conversations, she had stopped being a part of Videl's life when she was young; just barely old enough to remember her. He didn't know whether she had died or simply left and he hoped it wasn't the latter. How the former Mrs. Satan could leave her young daughter was beyond him. Hercule he could understand, but not his Videl.

Sitting down with his back against the bathroom door, he tried talking to her. "Come on, Videl," Gohan coaxed. "Let me in. My mom didn't mean anything by what she said. She didn't know."

A few seconds of silence before Gohan raised his hand to knock on the door once more. "I'm really sorry, Videl." He repeated. "She didn't know what she was talking about."

"Don't you know when to leave well enough alone!" came Videl's sharp retort.

Gohan flinched at her tone. _Ouch! Well at least she isn't crying… _He had no idea how to deal with women when they were upset. What was he supposed to do now?

"Do you want to talk about it?" he tried. "It might help you feel better."

In an instant, Gohan flew backwards; hitting his head hard against the tiled floor as Videl suddenly opened the door. He hissed in more surprise than pain, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh you want to talk about it?" Videl jeered, looking down at him with a manacing glare. By now all traces of tears were gone. "You think it would make me feel better? Well tell me how talking about it is going to bring my mother back? Tell me what possible reason she could have for leaving me if not that she hated me!"

Gohan gulped as he stared up at her, sweat beading on his forehead. Should he keep quiet and let her calm herself down? One look at her face told him otherwise. _She wants to hear something now or she's gonna explode! _What was it that chick-flick his mom and Lime made he and Mirai watch that day said? _Damn why aren't those stupid lines coming to me? Screw this. I'm just going to wing it. _"I don't think she hated you. But even if she did it's her loss. She missed watching you grow up to be the strongest and most beautiful girl on the planet." He sighed in relief as Videl's glare softened and she dropped to her knees beside him.

"It doesn't matter that she missed me grow up!" she said angrily. "I still needed her! What was she thinking? I mean girl talk with my dad has been pretty…interesting for lack of a better term" Honestly, anything having to do with girls and their parts left Hercule with a serious stomach ache or worse sticking his fingers in his ears and screaming at the top of his lungs.

Gohan sat up and stroked her cheek. "I think you turned out ok. I mean you still have some trust issues but we're working on that aren't we?" he said with a gentle smile.

"Yeah we are," Videl responded smiling back. She had no idea why but Gohan always knew what to say to make her feel better even when he was the one who got her upset in the first place. She felt instantly guilty for snapping at him for something he had absolutely no control over. Yet he didn't seem to blame her at all.

"You have Sharpner and Erasa and me and Kiara who love you to death and even though he's a bit of an imbicile you have your father as well," Gohan said. "My mom and dad have pretty much adopted you. You have a pretty big family when you think about it. Don't forget it Videl."

Videl smiled and kissed him gently. "Why are you so good to me?" she asked with a smile.

"Because you deserve it," Gohan responded against her lips. "Now can we go back and get something to eat! I'm starving!"

Videl followed after him, chuckling at his childish antics before what he said fully sank in. Did she really deserve it? He hounded him constantly, stalking him even at first, to uncover every last detail of his less-than-perfect life. Yet she hardly ever disclosed anything personal about herself. A relationship was built on trust and she already trusted him with her life. So then, shouldn't she trust him with her past as well? Before she knew it, they were back on the patio and were surprised to see they had a few more guests in the form of 18, Krillen, Marron and Kiara. Upon seeing them, the dark haired girl ran over to them and gave Videl a big hug before she jumped into Gohan's arms.

"Gohan! Videl! I missed you! I had so much fun with Marron! Can I go visit her again soon? Please?" Kiara begged.

"If Marron's mommy and daddy say it's ok then sure! She can even come over and visit you sometimes," Videl said.

At that Kiara looked over at Krillen and 18 expectantly. Marron had also joined in at the begging. She was so happy she had another girl to play with. It was sometimes so hard with Goten and Trunks. They never wanted to play dolls or tea parties. They were only fun for hide and seek!

18 gave a rare smile. "Of course she can. I think it's good that Marron has a girl to play with. There's enough testosterone in the Z senshi as it is," she said, rolling her eyes.

"What's the Z-senshi?" Videl asked. Sharpner and Erasa also looked questioningly at the android.

"Oh it's just what we call ourselves in our little group. It's kind of like an extended family," Chi Chi supplied. "Even if one of them kidnapped my baby and another is trying to corrupt my little boy's innocence," she added scathingly.

"Ok, Chi," Goku said, laying a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Why don't you two come take a seat so we can finally eat? I'm tired of watching the boys stealing sushi rolls!"

Goten and Trunks' eyes opened wide in horror and they both braced themselves for the blow from the Frying Pan of Doom TM that was sure to follow. "Traitor!" Goten accused his chuckling father, rubbing his sore temple.

"Hey, it wasn't very fair that you got to eat while I had to wait was it?" Goku defended.

The boys just pouted as they waited for Chi Chi to give the signal.

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About half an hour later, everyone had finished eating. The children had excused themselves in favour of a game of hide and seek. It was then that Chi Chi decided to turn on Mirai and Lime. "What is this I'm hearing about you two having sex?" she asked in an eerily quiet tone.

Krillen, 18, Gohan and Videl looked on in interest having not heard this news before. The couple shared a nervous glance and gulped.

'_Shit! What are we supposed to tell her?'_ Mirai asked Lime telepathically.

'_I don't know! I thought you were supposed to be the genius!' _Lime replied back.

'_Chi, let me handle this,' _Goku said telepathically to his wife, not wanting her to go off her rocker, and in the end accomplish nothing.

'_And why should you? They should know better than that! A tongue lashing is what they dersere and that's exactly what they'll get!' _Chi Chi retorted.

'_When I'm done with them do as you wish but let me go first,' _Goku compromised.

Chi Chi huffed. _'Fine!' _she conceded.

Triumphant, Goku walked up behind the teens, pulled back their collars and took a look at the perfectly etched bite marks where their necks met their collarbone. "You bonded. I just hope you know what this means," he began. This was a lot more serious than he thought it was. If they had simply had sex, he would have just told them to be careful next time but this, this could change their lives forever.

"That we're going to be together forever?" Mirai asked weakly.

Goku closed his eyes in frustration for a second before he asked, "Exactly what has your father told you about bonding?"

Gohan squirmed in his seat. His dad had given him _that_ talk on his thirteenth birthday. He had turned just about every color of the rainbow but Goku had made sure he heard every word.

Mirai gulped. "Err, nothing really?" he said in a high pitched tone.

"When a Saiyan finds a partner, one of two things can happen. Either they can have sex without marking one another which would make it just like any human sexual relationship, or you can mark each other which bond you for life. You feel what the other is feeling and share your thoughts and dreams. You can even communicate with your mate telepathically. All, in all, as Trunks said, it's like a Saiyan marriage. After this, you won't feel attraction for anyone else until the day you die, even if your mate has died. Saiyans also go through a kind of mating season every full moon. Your attraction to your mate increases significantly. When you bond with your mate especially during the full moon, your sperm has a much higher potency. Depending on where Lime is in her cycle, there is a pretty good chance that she could be pregnant," Goku said seriously.

At that news the table went silent as Mirai and Lime exchanged worried glances before looking down at their twiddling thumbs. It was true that they had discussed the possibility of it happening but after finding out the risk was even higher was a bit much to handle.

"Anyway don't get too concerned just yet. I suggest you guys go over to Bulma's as soon as possible to be sure," Goku said wisely. "Even if you aren't pregnant I suggest you get a hold of some birth control. Same goes for you four as well," he added turning to the two other young couples.

The teens nodded in silence, hoping agaist hope that Lime wasn't pregnant.

'_Anything else you want to add Chi?' _Goku asked.

Chi Chi just shook her head. She could see from their shocked faces that they already realized how careless they had been.

Somberly the six teenagers walked towards the den hoping that a good movie would lighten their dampened spirits.

"Well, I think we should be going soon," Krillen spoke up uncomfortably, filling the heavy silence the teens had left in the air. He retreated to the bathroom while 18 went into the forest in search of her daughter.

"I don't see why Gohan needs birth control," Chi Chi scoffed at her husband, now that they were alone. "He knows he isn't supposed to have sex before he gets married!" Sure, she teased him all the time about grandchildren but then there was always the given that this would happen _after_ marriage.

Goku looked Chi Chi in the eyes seriously. "Look, Chi," he said. "Gohan's a teenager. He's a walking mass of hormones right now and it's just a matter of time before he gives into them. If he does wait until he's married that's great but we can't take that for granted. The best thing we can do for him right now is to make sure he protects himself so if he does have sex, he won't regret it, ok?"

"Ok," Chi Chi grumbled. She still didn't like the idea but then again, a swim in the lake with Goku one hot summer's day turned into Gohan nine months later. It was bad enough that Gohan had Kiara to take care of at his age. Another baby would not do right now.

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At around eight o' clock, Goku popped his head into the den to find all of the teens fast asleep. Turning on the lights, he walked over to Gohan and Mirai and shook them awake. "Hey Gohan, I think it's time you take your friends home. Mirai you take Lime home and head home yourself. Be sure to talk to Bulma as I told you earlier," he said.

"Sure thing, Goku," Mirai said, stretching as he stood up.

After waking everyone up, Gohan led his friends to the front door where Chi Chi stood waiting to say goodbye. "Well, it was very nice to meet you all. I hope I'll be seeing more of you from now on. Gohan don't forget to invite your friends to your coming out ball," Chi Chi said.

"Mom must you insist on calling it that?" Gohan groaned but his mom had already disappeared into the house. Sighing, the Son boy turned to his friends.

"Coming out of the closet are you Gohan?" Sharpner teased, raising his eyebrows. "I knew you liked me a little too much!" This caused everyone in the group to snicker at his comment.

Gohan rolled his eyes and slapped his friend gently upside the head. "No, I am not gay, you idiot! It's just a ball to introduce me to the kingdom. Aside from the palace staff and a few royal allies of my grandfather, no one has really seen me or knows my name," Gohan explained.

"Why?" Videl asked. She was thrust into the spotlight the minute her father had won the WMAT and even worse after he claimed to beat Cell. How had Gohan escaped?

"Well my parents didn't like the idea of me growing up in the spotlight especially when I was younger and had no control over my powers. So when Goten and I were born, they never disclosed anything but our date of birth and gender to the public. The idea was that during the Kingdom Festival after our 18th birthday we would be formally introduced to the public." Gohan continued.

"When is it? I need to find a dress!" Erasa said in a panic.

Lime chuckled. "Next month. Christmas Eve, if I remember correctly," she said.

Gohan nodded his head in affirmation. "It's fine if you guys already have plans with your families or whatever but I'd like it if you could stop by," he said. "To tell you the truth I am not looking forward to it at all. I'll need all the backup I can get."

Videl put a hand on his shoulder in reassurance. "Don't worry. If I can do it, you can. We'll be right by your side the whole way," she said, causing him to smile.

"Thanks," Gohan responded.

"Alright, I think we should get going," Mirai said as he floated into the air.

Lime followed suit. "It was nice meeting you all and I'm sure we'll see each other soon," she said as they both waved and jetted off for Chazke Village.

"Alright everyone!" Gohan announced as he threw a capsule to the ground. "Get in."

The group marveled at the sleek jetcopter that emerged from the smoke cloud. It was a forest green with red detailing. Best of all, it was definitely not on the market yet.

"Is that a Jet X 5000?" Sharpner asked in admiration, just about ready to bow down the piece of machinery.

Gohan grinned. "Yup!" he chirped. "Dad asked me to test-drive it. It should be able to get us to Satan City in about an hour."

"I have wanted one of those forever!" Videl said giddily. "When will they be on the market?"

"Probably not till next year or the year after," Gohan said. "They're still trying to get the cost down to market value."

The two vehicle-enthusiasts' shoulders sagged in disappointment. That was going to take forever! Damn!

"Alright let's go," Gohan said. "We don't need anybody's parents throwing a hissy fit," he smirked, the comment pointing directly at Videl.

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes at him. "I call shot gun!" she yelled, hopping into the front passenger seat.

Sharpner was at a loss. "Hey! No fair!" he yelled.

Videl sent him a wide grin. "Deal with it!" she said cheekily, watching as the boy grumbled, taking his seat next to Erasa in the back.

888

At around nine thirty, Gohan touched down on Videl's balcony. After taking Erasa and Sharpner home, he had traded his jetcopter in favor of his Gold Fighter costume.

"Do you want to come in?" Videl asked demurely, as he placed her gently on her feet.

"Sure, for a little while," Gohan answered with a nervous smile.

The two walked into the room, one for the very first time. Unsurprisingly given her personality, the room was rather simple containing no more than the essentials with the exception of a small plasma screen TV and a video game system. Her furniture was a tawny color. The curtains were a shade of blue that mirrored her eyes. There were three doors visible; one leading to the hallway, one to her personal bathroom and the other to her closet.

"Nice room," Gohan chatted as he took a seat on her desk chair. He watched as she took a seat on her bed, her fingers fidgeting as the look he knew all to well to be one of deep thought crossed her face. She looked down at her fingers, not even acknowledging his comment. He honestly had no idea what to say. It was easy for him to make conversation when they were in the forest. That was his terrain. But here, here was her turf.

"I'm sorry," Videl blurted out, looking up at him. She seemed surprised the words had actually escaped her mouth.

"What for?" Gohan asked concerned.

"I mean, I've been badgering you trying to get every single detail of your life out of you even though you didn't want to talk about it yet I completely shut you out this afternoon," she said, getting up and beginning to pace the room, gesturning passionately with her hands.

"It's ok, Videl," Gohan started reassuraingly but was interrupted by Videl.

"No, it's not," she admonished. "It's… it's not fair so… I'm going to tell you…about her."

"You don't have to," Gohan tried again softly but again she cut him off.

"Yes I do!" she said firmly, her face contorting to a look of anguish as she held her head. As her expression steeled, she added softly, "Not just for you, for me as well."

"Okay," Gohan whispered.

"I need to sort this out. I've been trying to talk it out with my dad for years but he never listens. Erasa had a lot of things going on as well with her parents divorcing and having two half siblings and I didn't want to add my problems to hers so I'm going to talk to you," Videl said.

"Okay," Gohan repeated. Erasa had mentioned her 'evil step-mother and the demon twins' quite a few times.

"When I was little, my mom was like my hero. She was small, like me. She also had the same hair and eye color as me. She actually was a figure skater before I was born but quit so she could take care of me. Back then we lived in a small house just big enough for the three of us. I remember she was a fantastic singer as well. She used to sing me to sleep every night or whenever I felt sad, she'd just sing to me and I'd feel a lot better. She was the one who first took me to ballet lessons… and football practice. We used to bake peanut butter cookies every weekend. I remember raiding her makeup kit and closet so many times because I wanted to be beautiful just like her and whenever she caught me, she would wipe the lipstick off my face and tell me I was beautiful just the way I was," Videl began.

Gohan nodded. "She was right," he said simply and let her continue.

"When I was ten, things suddenly changed. My dad had just won the world martial arts competition, but unlike your dad, the win got to his head. He bought that huge mansion in the city. He was never home anymore and whenever he was he would ignore us both. My mom and dad started arguing a lot and after a while refused to even speak to each other. One day, I came home from school and she wasn't there. Dad said she left us and wouldn't tell me anything else," Videl said, hanging her head. "From then on he started drinking and partying even more. Can you believe I haven't seen him in a month?"

"Every time I tried to ask what happened, he would just badmouth her. I even tried going to the police, but he had paid them to keep their mouths shut," Videl said brokenly.

"I just want to know what happened to her, you know?" Videl said. "I just want to know whether she's dead or alive or if she has a new family now or lives alone. It just hurts not knowing."

Gohan and Videl sat in silence for a while. Videl had stopped pacing the room and resumed her perch on her bed, staring at the floor. "I'll help you find her," Gohan said after a long while.

"How are you going to do that?" Videl asked bitterly, looking up at him.

"I know some powerful people," Gohan said with a smirk.

Videl smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks," she said.

"Anytime," Gohan responded.

888

* * *

Review please and keep the ideas coming.


	39. First Days and Test Days

Hi everyone! *Looks out at empty room* Well I know I promised this update to a few people last week but once again, life got in the way. So I'm very sorry for the lateness. Anyway this is a relatively long chapter so I hope you guys enjoy it! I don't own DBZ.

_**Last Time...**_

_**"I just want to know what happened to her, you know?" Videl said. "I just want to know whether she's dead or alive or if she has a new family now or lives alone. It just hurts not knowing."**_

_**Gohan and Videl sat in silence for a while. Videl had stopped pacing the room and resumed her perch on her bed, staring at the floor. "I'll help you find her," Gohan said after a long while.**_

_**"How are you going to do that?" Videl asked bitterly, looking up at him.**_

_**"I know some powerful people," Gohan said with a smirk.**_

_**Videl smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks," she said.**_

_**"Anytime," Gohan responded.**_

* * *

888

Gohan grimaced as a sound from down the hall awoke him from his slumber. He was lying in a comfortable bed, one he could tell was not his own. His senses immediately went on high alert as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings. A slight weight rested on his chest and he could feel thin arms draped across his bare chest and legs tangled with his own. He opened his dark eyes only to come face to face with a mass of ebony hair. A small smile came over his face as he remembered who it was. He brushed the dark locks away from his face and caressed the girl's cheek.

"Time to wake up, babe," he whispered softly in her ear.

However the girl just tightened her grip on his muscular arm and snuggled deeper into his chest.

"Come on! We've got to get ready for school!" Gohan tried again and smirked as the girl gave an annoyed groan before opening her emerald eyes.

"I don't want to!" Kiara whined before she tried once more to make herself disappear into Gohan's chest.

"You know you have to. Don't you want to make some new friends?" he tried to coax her.

"I'm fine with Marron and Goten and Trunks. I don't need anymore friends," she replied stubbornly. "And how come I have to go to school and Goten doesn't?"

"Because he tends to be too rough on the other kids," Gohan answered patiently and instantly picked up the thoughtful look that crossed his surrogate daughter's face seconds later. "And don't you dare try picking any fights!"

Kiara pouted and rested her head in her palms as she lay on her stomach on top of Gohan. "You're no fun," she challenged, looking him straight in the eyes.

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you were the one _begging_ to stay with us. Maybe we should take you back to minor services and see if they can find a more fun family for you huh?" he rebutted.

Kiara faltered for a second but didn't tear her gaze away from his. "You'd miss me too much," she smirked moving closer to him.

Gohan rolled his eyes. "Aah…I guess you're right," he whispered before kissing her on the nose causing her to giggle. "Now time to get up!" he said getting back to business.

"Never!" she refused but found herself dissoving into fits of laughter as Gohan picked her up and held her upside down by her ankles

"Gohan! Stop!" she shrieked through giggles.

"Not until you go get ready for school!" Gohan said in a sing song voice.

"Okay! Okay! I'll do it!" she capitulated.

Gohan held out his hand for her to take and turned her right side up. "Now get in the bath. I'll come help you in a second," he said.

"Okay!" the little girl said reluctantly and trudged off to the bathroom.

Gohan shook his head and laughed as he watched Kiara leave the room. He had heard her scream in the middle of the night and found her having a nightmare. He held her in his arms until she calmed down and she had asked him to stay with her until she fell asleep. It seemed he had fallen asleep as well. She was such a spirited young girl that it was gut wrenching to see her sobbing her heart out as a result of the monsters who killed her parents. No child should have to see that.

She was also starting a new school near Gohan's: Orange Star Elementary. With the paperwork needed to start her so late in the term, she was starting today, the day Gohan went back to school after his week-long fall break. Bulma and Chi Chi had talked it out with minor services and they agreed to grant Gohan temporary custody of the girl for now, provided she be enrolled in school, see a child psychiatrist at least twice a week and they agree to random inspections. With Gohan being so young, they were rather reluctant to let him take her in, but as he had help from his parents, they were willing to give him a chance. If he made it through a probationary phase, then they could think about adoption. For the official records' sake they opted not to include Videl as the couple was not yet living together. However, she was allowed to visit whenever she wanted to. Gohan and Videl had decided this amongst themselves. It made more sense for Kiara to stay with Gohan as he had both his mom and dad at home at least most of the time and she would have Goten to play with. With Videl's dad traveling all the time, and Videl enrolled in school, the Satan Mansion seemed hardly the place to raise a child.

Gohan shrugged and made his way to the bathroom as he heard Kiara yelling at him to hurry up. Who would have thought that in the space of two weeks he would have gotten himself a girlfriend _and _a daughter?

888

In about forty-five minutes, Gohan and Kiara had both gotten dressed for school, eaten breakfast and were saying goodbye to the rest of the Son family. Gathering Kiara in his arms, Gohan whispered to the girl, "Hold on tight," before he rose slowly to the air, making sure the capsule belt containing his and her school bags was properly attached to his belt. He flew slower than usual towards Satan City, not wanting the girl to get too overwhelmed.

However, Kiara seemed to be enjoying every minute of it. No matter how much her eyes watered, a massive grin remained on her face as she took in the surroundings. Nevertheless she had a death grip on Gohan's shirt. She had never flown with Gohan before and she could hardly wait until she could do it herself.

As the city loomed in the distance, an uneasy feeling settled in her stomach. She was always uncomfortable around new people, Videl, the Son and Chestnut families being obvious exceptions. Questions raced through her mind. Would they like her? Would she make any friends? Would her teachers be nice?

Before she knew it, Gohan had touched down in a deserted alleyway behind the school. He put her down and uncapsulated their bags, slinging his brown satchel over his shoulder before helping her put on her light blue backpack. He took her hand in his and the two walked the two blocks to the front of the school.

As they reached the fence, Kiara's grip tightened on the Gohan's index and middle fingers, causing him to look down at her. She looked up, worry evident in her eyes, her past courage long gone. Small tears began to well up in her eyes as the gravity of the situation began to hit home.

"Hey," Gohan said, kneeling down to her level. "You're going to be ok. It's just for a few hours. If you need me I'll be two buildings over. If you really need me just press this button and I'll come get you, ok?" he said, handing her a pager as he wiped the tears from her eyes. "You're a great girl and you have to be strong today, ok?"

Kiara nodded hesitantly. "Ok," she said in a small voice.

"That's my girl," Gohan said, patting her on the cheek. "Ready to go in?"

Kiara looked up at him and took his fingers again. "No… but if I must, I shall," she said dramatically.

"And she's back," Gohan quipped before leading the way through the halls.

Soon enough he found his way to the principal's office. Spying a brown haired secretary, intrigued by a game of solitaire, he made his way over to her. "Excuse me," he said trying to get her attention.

The secretary looked up and gave him a once over. "Oh aren't you the cutie? Sorry but this is the elementary school. The high school is two buildings over. But you can leave your name and number if you need anymore help if you know what I mean," she said giving him a sultry wink, not noticing Kiara from behind her desk.

"Oh, that won't be necessary. I'm actually dropping off my daughter, Kiara Hiiwatari. I was hoping to speak to the principal," Gohan replied, ignoring her advances.

The brunette peered over her desk to see the young girl holding on tightly to Gohan's hand. "Oh! I'm sorry! You just seem rather young to have children! Follow me," she said, getting up and leading them to the door behind her. "Principal Miyami. This is the new student and her father," she said to a graying round woman with rectangular framed glasses, before closing the door behind them.

"Good morning, Principal Miyami," Gohan said. "This is Kiara."

"Ahh good morning. And how are you two doing?" the woman asked kindly.

"I'm doing well. Kiara's just a bit nervous," Gohan answered.

"Well my dear, you have nothing to worry about. Your teacher and I are going to take very good care of you, ok?" she addressed Kiara.

The little girl nodded but did not let go of Gohan's hand.

Principal Miyami lowered her voice. "Well given her…situation, is there anything I or her teachers need to know?" she asked.

"Well she's allergic to nuts and I'm a bit concerned about naptime because she tends to have nightmares about what happened. I don't think it would be a good idea for her to participate in that just yet." Gohan replied.

"I understand. I'll be sure to let her teacher know. She can go colour or do a puzzle while the other kids nap," Principal Miyami compromised. "Alright, all I need you to do right now is sign some documents then we'll take her to her classroom."

About ten minutes later, the trio was standing in front of a glass door with brightly coloured butterflies glued to the door. The principal knocked on the door and a beautiful young woman in her early twenties with auburn hair in a bob cut opened the door.

"Why hello!" the young woman said. "You must be Kiara!" she said bending down to her level. "You can call me Miss Lisa."

"Hi," Kiara said shyly, tightening her grip on Gohan's fingers again.

"We'll introduce you to the class and then your daddy's going to have to go ok?" Miss Lisa said.

Kiara's eyes widened but she nodded, following the young woman into the room.

"Hey everybody! This is Kiara! Please make her feel welcome!" Miss Lisa said.

"Hi Kiara!" the class chorused.

"You can go take a seat right next to Sakura and Kari. You guys raise your hands!" she said. Two identical little girls with blonde hair and green eyes raised their hand enthusiastically and smiled at the shy Kiara.

"It's time for me to go," Gohan spoke, easing his fingers away from Kiara's grip. "Remember to be the strong little girl I know you are, ok?" he said, giving her a hug.

"Ok. Bye Gohan," Kiara whispered.

"Bye Kiki" Gohan replied, releasing her, and leaving the room when the girl took her seat.

"You can come pick her up at 3," Miss Lisa said before she closed the door behind him.

"Will do," Gohan said, smiling at her before making his way to Orange Star High. Looking at his watch, he sighed. He still had a lot of time before class started.

888

Erasa jumped up and grabbed her bag as she heard a car honk twice outside her house. Quickly checking over her makeup at the mirror by the door she yelled goodbye to her mom and headed out to join her now short-haired boyfriend. Tossing her bag in the back of the new red convertible capsule car Bulma had given him; she hopped in beside him and gave him a quick kiss.

"Hey you," she said happily. "How's it going? Ready to go back?"

Sharpner smiled over at her. "As long as you're with me," he sighed. Most of his football buddies were not in his class so he was slightly nervous about how they would react to his new haircut and girlfriend. No doubt they had already heard about it by now.

Soon enough, they pulled up in front of the school. Sharpner hopped out and opened the door for Erasa, grabbing both their bags and slinging them over his shoulder before recapsulating his car. The blonde teens walked through the hallways, hand in hand, smirking to themselves as the students they passed gossiped about their new relationship. Like Videl and Gohan, Sharpner and Erasa hadn't been open about their relationship while amongst their classmates. As they headed toward their lockers, the not-so-subtle whispers flying around surrounding their admitting their feelings for one other grew more and more absurd; the last one involving Sharpner saving Erasa from a killer whale.

Erasa barely suppressed a giggle as she retrieved her books for first period from her locker. "A killer whale?" she asked incredulously. "Where the hell were we supposed to find one of those in the wilderness?"

Sharpner smiled back. "I really don't know 'Rase," he answered, shaking his head in disbelief as he slammed his locker shut. Suddenly a wicked grin crossed his face. "What do you say we give them something to talk about?" he asked, a playfully seductive grin on his face.

Erasa grinned back and grabbed his collar, slamming him against the lockers as she kissed him fiercely. Sharpner was a little stunned by her forceful actions but quickly reciprocated the kiss, his hands sliding dangerously low on her hips.

Like dogs being fed scraps, the students erupted into another round of frenzied chatter as new stories about Orange Star High's new 'Power Couple' surfaced. However, one particular person was not very happy. It was Angela, a tall, busty redhead. Jealousy burned in her eyes as she witnessed her former lover and his new belle locked in a passionate embrace. Sure he had had many romantic partners between their time together and now, as had she. But there was something different about this one. He was now with his best friend, not some random slut. He was serious about this one. She knew he placed this girl on a pedestal and for that reason she never thought he would have the balls to go after her. She had thought Erasa was safely in the friend zone but the sparkle in Sharpner's eyes as they broke apart clearly demonstrated otherwise. The boy was absolutely smitten. _And we can't have that now, can we?_

Adjusting her already low-cut top to reveal even more cleavage, Angela sauntered up to the still-embracing couple. Clearing her throat to get their attention, she put on a sultry smile. "Well, well, well, Sharpie! Looks like you got yourself a little girlfriend. Adorable isn't she?" she said, giving Erasa a condescending smile.

Sharpner's jaw stiffened at the sight of her. This could only mean trouble. "What do you want, Angela?" he asked forcefully. He would not allow Angela to mess things up between him and Erasa. Just because she had taken his virginity in his sophomore year, she sometimes acted as if she owned him. They never even dated.

Angela sent him a sickly sweet smile and looked at him doe-eyed. "I only wanted to congratulate you," she replied. Turning her gaze on Erasa, she added, "Take care of him, sweetie." As she turned to leave, she called out over her shoulder, "And Sharpie, when you realize she's not woman enough for you, remember who had you first!"

Sharpner grimaced, holding Erasa closer to him. "Be sure to hold your breath!" he replied in the same sweet tone his former lover or shoud he say one night stand had used. Turning to the girl in his arms he asked, "Remind me why I ever slept with her?"

Erasa giggled. "You were a drunk kid desperate to lose his virginity. Just be thankful you didn't get some STD," she laughed.

Sharpner looked down at his shoes, an embarrassed look on his face. "Oh, right," he replied sheepishly. His face becoming serious he turned back to his girlfriend. "Don't pay any attention to her though. I'm 100% yours," he added.

Erasa reached up and kissed him softly. With a smirk she asked, "Do I look worried to you?"

Sharpner hugged her close. "Thanks," he whispered in her hair. "And if for some random reason I do, I give you permission to call Gohan and his buddies to beat me up."

Erasa smirked. "Oh, I already have them on speed-dial," she said and walked off giggling as she noticed Sharpner's stunned look.

As the warning bell rang, the two made their way to their first class of the day. They walked through the door and found Gohan sitting in Erasa's seat next to Videl. The two seemed locked in a heated debate about fighting strategies.

"Well, look who's early for once," Sharpner teased.

The dark-haired couple looked up at their friends and blushed.

"And sitting all cozy next to each other too?" Erasa added.

Gohan looked around and as if suddenly realizing he was sitting in Erasa's seat, got up, apologizing profusely.

Erasa just shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder, pushing him down in her seat. "Don't worry about it. I was hoping we could switch seat anyway. That way Sharpie can switch with the guy next to you.

"Ok, but if anybody asks, it was your idea. I haven't told my dad about us yet and I don't want him to find out through some gossipy kids," Videl answered in a low tone, conscious of the student trickling into the classroom.

"Our lips are sealed," Erasa chirped, moving her thumb and index finger across her lips in a zipping motion. Her smilr fell and her voice dropped as a concerened look crossed her face. "Did you talk to your dad about the other thing…you know?" she asked, giving Gohan a sidelong glance.

Videl's countenance became grim as she stared at her fingernails. "Honestly, I haven't seen or spoken to him since I got back. I just…I still can't believe he didn't tell me. I don't think I can face him right now," she said quietly. Gohan patted her shoulder reassuringly while Sharpner and Erasa sent her looks of pity.

"Just know no matter what, we're here for you, ok?" Sharpner said. He too was having trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that his hero since he was eleven years old had lied to the world. He could not imagine how betrayed Videl must feel.

The group was snapped out of its melancholy as the final warning bell rang and the remaining students poured into the classroom along with the teacher.

888

Meanwhile, Lime stirred lightly in her bed as the sunlight peeking through her bedroom window caressed her face. Her eyes opened groggily and she yawned and stretched her stiff muscles. Throwing her legs over the side of her twin bed, she made her way out of her bedroom door and down the hall to the bathroom. She showered, brushed her hair and picked out a cute outfit for the day. She knew she had a busy one ahead of her. Grabbing her planner, she gave it a once over, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. However, all prior arrangements became secondary when she noticed the date. _No! It can't be the 21__st__! Did I miscalculate?_ Frantically, she ran through the math again and again but each time she came to the same conclusion: her period was late. Six days late in fact.

Ice cold fear gripped her as she sank to the floor, rumpling the mini dress she had paired with tights for the colder weather. _No. This could not be happening. Maybe it's just late. Never mind the fact that it's never been late before. There's a first time for everything right? I cannot be pregnant right now! I'm not ready! I still live in my parent's house! Forget that! I still sleep with a freaking night light! I can't take care of a kid!_

'_Ok Lime, breathe'._ She tried to coach herself. '_Don't freak out. Maybe you're not pregnant. Maybe you should stop referring to yourself in the third person! Oh my Kami what am I going to do?!'_ But she knew exactly what she needed to do. She was going to have to go see Bulma…today.

She buried her head in her lap in embarrassment as she thought about it. It wasn't that she didn't like Bulma. After all, just like Chi Chi, the woman had been like an aunt or second mother to her. It was just that having her boyfriend's mom check to see if she was knocked up wasn't exactly appealing. And it wasn't as if she could go to a regular doctor because if she was pregnant, it would be pretty interesting explaining why her unborn child had alien DNA. Her mother was a doctor but having her do it seemed even worse than Bulma! And preganancy tests didn't always work.

A wave of nausea hit her as her mind went into overdrive. _Oh my Kami what am I going to tell Mama? What am I going to tell Papa? What if Mirai doesn't want the baby? What if he was just saying that but when he actually has the kid he'd freak out. What if she had to give up her career? Why oh why couldn't she wait a couple more days so they could get some birth control?_

Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts, she got up shakily and reached for her phone, dialing Bulma's number. The blue haired genius picked up on the third ring. "Hey Lime," she greeted happily. "What's up?"

Lime forced a smile, trying to project it in her voice. "Hi Bulma!" she replied. She didn't know whether it was fortunate or not that Bulma instantly picked up that something was wrong.

"What happened, sweetie?" she asked gently, concern evident in her voice. "Was it that son of mine? If he treats you wrong he'll be wishing he was getting his ass kicked by androids…"

"No! Well not exactly," Lime interjected, cutting off Bulma's impending tirade. "Actually, c-can I come see you? Like in about an hour?"

"Of course! Come right over. I'll be in my lab. Just come right in," Bulma replied.

Lime put on a brave face before leaving her bedroom and entering the kitchen, making a beeline for the door. What she didn't expect was to see her parents sitting at the kitchen table, each sipping a cup of tea.

"M-mama! Papa!" the auburn haired girl exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

The older Mizuki woman looked up at her. "Last time I checked, we live here," she replied, merriment evident in her emerald eyes. Like Lime she was petite and slim. It was obvious who Lime had inherited her looks from. The older woman had the same wavy brown hair and bright green eyes as her daughter. The only exception was that Chiharu Suzuki's hair was a chocolate brown while Lime's amalgamated that of her mother as well as her father's ginger hair. Akira Mizuki was the complete opposite of her mother. He was a burly man with sky blue eyes and a height that could rival Goku's.

A sheepish smile came over Lime's face as she waved her hands defensively in front of her. "N-no! I didn't mean it like that It's just that you guys are usually gone by now," she apologized. With her father running his own large scale farm and her mother being the village doctor, they usually weren't at home when Lime woke up in the morning. It was her grandfather's duty to take care of her in the village shop as a child during holidays and after school and it was a job he continued until he died three years before.

"Were you hoping we were gone so you could call that Briefs boy?" her mother teased. "Darling you need to make your move before some other girl snags him. He's perfect for you!"

Did she mention her mother was about as crazed about her getting married as Chi Chi was about grandchildren? _How do I say this? Well Mama, do you remember the trip we went on? Well Mirai and I kissed, proclaimed our love for each other, made love several times in a cave and now I'm going to see his mother to see if I'm pregnant with his baby. Oh yeah! Did I mention that I'm bonded to him for life? Yeah because that will go over so well. _"Actually, he asked me out!" she said convincingly excited. It was the truth actually. Mirai had asked her on a date at seven.

Her mother bright her hand to her mouth in shick while her father beamed. "At long last! Please tell me you said yes!" her mother went on.

Lime smiled genuinely at her parent's enthusiasm. You would think she was a 30-something old maid with the way they were acting. Oh well, the less they knew at this point, the better. "Of course I did!" she replied.

"Oh my Kami! We have to go shopping to get you something to wear! I'm so excited! Where are you going? When?" Chiharu said, her voice reaching new octaves as her excitement builded.

"Tentatively tonight. It depends on when my photo shoot this afternoon ends. And he told me it was a surprise," she said. "But I have to get over to Bulma's right now. We have a pretty important meeting. I'll try to come back in time so you can help me pick out something Mama," Lime continued as she inched towards the door. If she didn't stop her now, her mother would continue gushing for hours.

"Alright sweetie, call me and let me know!" her mother called as Lime took to the air.

888

Thirty minutes later, Lime walked in through the door of Bulma's lab, to find the genius elbow deep in some sort of machine. "Hi Bulma," she said quietly, not wanting to startle the older woman.

She turned around revealing oil stained gloves. She took them off along with her jumpsuit and came over to give Lime a hug. "So sweetie, what was it you needed to talk to me about?" she asked, although she had an inkling.

"Well first of all, where's Mirai?" Lime asked. She couldn't sense him in the building and her ki senses weren't strong enough to detect him from a distance.

Bulma smiled. "Oh he, Vegeta and Trunks are off on a father-son training expedition or something. They said they'll be back later this afternoon. Are you all ready for your date?" she teased.

"Um yeah, but that's not what I needed to talk to you about," Lime replied, taking a seat. "Um, well. Mirai and I have been… how do you say… active?" Lime started, a burning blush already coating her face. "And…" she trailed off as tears started welling up in her eyes. "And I didn't get my period so…"

"You want to know if you're pregnant?" Bulma said, looking compassionately over at the teenager.

Lime nodded, wiping her eyes. "Can we find out now?" she asked, her voice cracking a bit.

"Sure sweetie, why don't you go on to the medical wing and put on a gown. I'll wash up and join you in a moment," Bulma said sympathetically.

Lime nodded before turning down the winding halls, eventually ending up at the door to the Briefs' private medical wing. Pulling the curtain around one of the hospital beds, she stripped to her underwear and put on one of the backless gowns, folding her clothes neatly on a chair. Her heart racing, she sat on the edge of the hospital bed waiting for what seemed like ages for Bulma to come through the door.

Soon enough, the blue haired woman came in donning a clean lab coat and some gloves. "Well can you tell me how long it has been since your missed period and when you first had intercourse? I'm guessing you were a virgin before you guys had sex?" Bulma asked profesionally.

Lime blushed again. "Um yes. It's been six days since my missed period and um, we slept together for the first time about two weeks ago," she replied, fiddling with the hem of her gown.

"Well, it's a bit early but we still should be able to see traces of hCG in your urine. We'll also do a blood test to be sure as well, ok?" Bulma said, handing her a small glass container. "Well, fill her up! The bathroom's on the right."

Lime took the container gratefully and returned a few minutes later with it full. She sat on the bed again as she watched Bulma prepare the apparatus for taking a blood sample. She tied a rubber band at her elbow and had her squeeze a stress ball as she wiped her inside of her elbow with an alcohol wipe. When she finally found a vein she poked the needle in and Lime watched as the blood left her vein and entered a small cylindrical tube. After a few minutes, the needle was removed and cotton swab and small bandage was placed over the wound.

"Alright, well I'll have this machine test the samples. Usually the blood sample takes a little while but my machine will have it done in ten minutes," Bulma said, gathering the samples. "You can get dressed and wait here."

Lime nodded again and complied but that ten minutes felt like hours.

Finally, the blue haired woman came up to her, her face a neutral mask which freaked the hell out of Lime. _Oh my Kami I'm pregnant!_

"You are not pregnant!" Bulma suddenly said breaking out a smile.

Lime sat there frozen for a second before a smile grew on her face as well as she breathed a sigh of relief. She flopped back on the bed, as tears of relief escaped her eyes. Getting up, she looked at Bulma, a bright smile on her face as she hugged the woman. "Oh my Kami. I'm so happy. I could not handle a baby right now!" she exclaimed.

"You and me both! Don't you see I'm too young to be a grandmother!" Bulma joked. "No offense but I don't want my baby and my grandbaby to be months apart!"

"Yeah I know. Could I get some birth control pills or something? Goku was mentioning something about super sperm so I don't know if conventional ones are going to work," Lime asked, too relieved to feel embarrassed now.

"Oh sure," Bulma said, handing her a couple boxes of pills and condoms. "These are reinforced so those darn swimmers don't make their way through. I gave some to Mirai as well. Kami knows they're the reason Chi Chi and I don't have 20 kids by now."

"Thanks Bulma," Lime said.

"Oh by the way, how was he?" Bulma asked with a wink causing Lime to go cherry red.

"Bulma!" the girl whined.

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Well I hoped you liked it. If so, let me know. If not, still let me know. I'm always looking for ways to improve my story so constructive criticism is always welcome!

Review!


	40. Confrontations

Hi everyone...Well that is if anyone is still reading this story... I am so sorry for taking so long to update this. A mix of writer's block and life got in the way. But anyway here it is.

**_Last time..._**

_**"Oh by the way, how was he?" Bulma asked with a wink causing Lime to go cherry red.**_

_**"Bulma!" the girl whined.**_

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**Confrontations...**

"Hah!" screamed the young Trunks as he sent a barrage of ki blasts at his future counterpart. The older male powered up and sent out a strong ki wave, effectively cancelling out the blasts the child was sending his way. Like his father and younger 'brother', Mirai's clothes were tattered, drenched in sweat and stained with spatters of deep red blood. All in all it was typical father-son bonding with Vegeta.

He smirked at the child, ready to make a snide remark, but as he opened his mouth, a feeling of utter panic flooded his senses. His body shook uncontrollably as his heart immediately started beating at twice its normal rate. A steady, dull ache thrummed in his temples as his lungs constricted. He was having a full scale panic attack and he had no idea why! He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs to capacity before slowly letting out the air in an attempt to slow his racing pulse. His body complied to a degree as he tried to calm himself down. Then, as his heart rate returned to a normal level, he heard it. Well to use the word 'hear' wasn't exactly accurate. It was as if he was getting a glimpse into someone else's mind, sensing their thoughts. The only other time he had experienced anything remotely similar to this was after he and Lime had mated so he knew this had to be her. But unlike the last time where her thoughts lucid as if she were directly speaking to hum, these thoughts were distorted, punctuated by overwhelming feelings of fear that were like daggers to his skull. He tried concentrating harder to decipher the message and soon his efforts were rewarded when he heard as clear as day, '_Oh my Kami I'm pregnant_'.

His heart rate sped up once again as his own panic began to set in. He knew Lime was going to see his mother for a pregnancy test sometime this week and she didn't want him to be present for it. It had hurt his feelings a little but then again he would have gone absolutely mad waiting in the lab for the results. But this message completely defeated the purpose of that arrangement. She was pregnant and she didn't have to tell him anything.

One part of his mind wondered if they'd ever be able to keep secrets from one another now. Every day since that talk with Goku, he wondered whether bonding with Lime at such an early point in their relationship had been the best thing to do. What if they didn't last? What if she decided one day that she was going to leave him? What would become of him then? Goku said that Saiyans were bound to their soulmate for life. But was _she_ bound to him or was she free to do whatever she wanted? And now she was pregnant? He knew he was pretty open to having a baby before but that idea also became less and less appealing each time he thought about it. He had thought that raising a child wouldn't be that hard; after all he had to take care of the whole world in the future! But soon enough reality gave him a swift kick to the behind. Maybe in three to five years but right now neither of them was ready to raise a child. But now they had no choice. Neither he nor Lime was interested in aborting their baby so the question now was: were they going to suck it up and keep the baby or were they going to put it up for adoption? But then again, was letting a ¼ Saiyan baby loose on the world without training a smart thing to do? How Saiyan was a ¼ Saiyan anyway? Was it going to be as strong as the half-Saiyans were or would the Saiyan genes continue to dominate regardless of their dilution? Was he even supposed to call it an 'it'? Kami, was Lime able to read his thoughts right now?

The next thing Mirai knew, a rather large ki blast had hit him square in the chest. Blinding pain skipped along his nerves, reaching a climax as he crashed into the side of a barren mountain. Mirai coughed, clearing his airways of dust, groaned and rose to his feet, tensing as he popped his shoulder back into place. He rose into the air, vacating the hole he had made in the rock to face his scowling father. His younger counterpart was nowhere to be found.

"Brat you answer me when I am speaking to you!" Vegeta said gruffly obviously having no patience with his son's sudden attitude change.

However Mirai stared at him blankly. Was he that deep in thought that he didn't hear what Vegeta said?

"I said, what is it that has you so so preoccupied that you cannot focus on a simple spar?" Vegeta repeated.

"She's pregnant." The words spilled out of his mouth before he'd even realized he had said them. "Oh my Kami, she's pregnant! What am I supposed to do? I can't raise a baby! I-oof!" Mirai rambled on before before he got a fist to the gut courtesy of Vegeta.

"Shut up brat!" Vegeta yelled. "How do you know that?"

Mirai wheezed as he tried to pull air back into his lungs. "The mind-link thingy that Goku was talking about," he gasped.

Vegeta shook his head at the troubled young man. "Brat, you are twenty-two years old. Be a man and sort out your issues with your woman!" the older man said, essentially giving him permission to go. Sighing, he put his hand on his future son's shoulder. "Just don't be an idiot and leave her. No need for you to make the same mistake I did."

Mirai looked back at his father's sober face and nodded. He knew his parent's relationship had started out on pretty rocky soil and his father's actions must have had major consequences for him to warn him about it. Sure he was freaked out, but she probably was even more upset than he was. "I won't," he promised before taking off.

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"Ready?" Gohan asked, turning to Videl as he closed his locker for the day.

"Yup!" Videl chirped flashing him a quick smile. She was about to reach for his hand but pulled back when her fingers grazed his, remembering there were prying eyes around. The entire day they had dealt with slip-ups like this. It was such a stark contrast to the time they had spent in the wilderness, and the few days in their week off that she had spent at the Son estate. Being close to one another had become sort of automatic for them and it was hard to simply turn that inclination off. She had decided she was going to tell her father about their relationship once he got back from his business trip that weekend, regardless of the consequences. This wasn't really a secret she wanted to keep. She shot Gohan an apologetic look to which he shrugged and gestured for her to lead the way.

The two walked side by side, maintaining a reasonable distance between them as to not draw attention but remaining close enough to be friendly. The chatted animatedly as they entered the large double doors of Orange Star Elementary. Once inside, Gohan led the way to Kiara's classroom. They walked into the brightly coloured room, searching amongst the little groups of children working on some project or another for their foster daughter. Their spirits fell as they finally laid eyes on her sitting in a corner opposite a dark haired little boy. The two were wearing identical scowls and were glaring daggers at one another.

Miss Lisa got up from helping a group of three children solve a puzzle, noticing the two teenagers entering the room. "Hi, Gohan," she said politely.

"Hi Miss Lisa. This is my friend, Videl," Gohan introduced.

The two women exchanged greetings before Miss Lisa turned to the punishment corner. "Kiara, why don't you go and get your stuff while I talk to Gohan," she suggested.

Kiara turned to face her quickly, a huge grin lighting up her face as she saw both Videl and Gohan near the door. She raced over to them and gave them both a big hug before dragging Videl off to see her cubby.

As soon as the two were out of earshot, Miss Lisa began speaking. "Well as you can see Kiara was in the punishment corner today for fighting with Daisuke over there."

Gohan's face fell. "I'm sorry about that. We spoke about that just this morning. I'll talk to her when we get home," he apologized.

"Thank you for that. You wouldn't believe the number of parents that come in here believing their child can do no wrong. I'm happy to see you're not like that. But, to be fair, she was protecting her new friends after Daisuke was pushing them around. I'm happy to know that she was standing up to a bully but we don't encourage fighting here of any kind so I had to punish her as well. We like to use our words here and not out fists to sort out any issues," Miss Lisa continued.

Gohan felt a bit of relief knowing that she was only protecting her friends but understood where the teacher was coming from. He knew that especially once he started training Kiara properly she could really hurt one of the kids if she wasn't careful. That was the reason Goten wasn't enrolled in school yet. "I understand. I'll let her know that it's not ok even if she thinks it's for the right reasons," Gohan supplied.

"Thank you," Miss Lisa said giving him a smile.

"Gohan!" Kiara yelled, coming up behind him dragging an amused Videl behind her as she balanced her artwork and her schoolbag in one hand. "Oh I'm sorry. Are you done talking to Miss Lisa?" she asked politely. Chi Chi had instilled some manners in her during their short time together and it was definitely showing.

Miss Lisa smiled as Gohan replied. "Yes, Kiki."

"Oh great! Can you come see my cubby and meet my new friends?" she asked excitedly.

"Sure!" Gohan said, grabbing her bag as some of its contents threatened to spill from its still open zipper. This girl was a truck-load of energy.

"Okay! Follow me!" she said leading the way.

Kiara chatted enthusiastically as she introduced Gohan and Videl to her new friends and showed them the work she had done that day but soon enough it was time for them to leave.

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The three strolled side by side, Kiara holding on to both their hands in the middle as they headed towards the Satan residence. The teens both had a lot of homework to catch up on so Videl had decided to go home and get started. Their teachers had decided that they were going to get enough work to make up for the week's worth of learning they had missed between the field trip and their break. They chatted mostly about Kiara's day, the two foster parents getting a better idea of the personalities within the little girl's classroom and the activities they were taking part in. It seemed like to no time before they reached the massive gates of the Satan residence.

Kiara's eyes went big as she looked up at the massive structure before her. "Videl? This is where you live?" she asked incredulously.

Videl nodded a bit embarrassed, hoping the little girl didn't notice the new statue of her father in all his glory in the front garden. This was not how Kiara needed to learn about the male anatomy. How this was not deemed public exposure was beyond her. "Yeah, this is my house," she said lamely.

"Wow! It's even bigger than the castle!" Kiara said, amazed.

"Yeah, it is," Videl said. "One day soon you can come inside and visit but today I've got a lot of work to do, ok?"

Kiara nodded in understanding although her face showed the slightest disappointment. "Ok, Videl," Kiara said, giving her a hug goodbye.

"Bye, Videl," Gohan said giving her a little wave.

"Bye, Gohan," she replied softly, giving him an affectionate pat on the shoulder. She wanted more than anything to give him one little kiss but knew the paparazzi could be hiding anywhere.

"Why didn't you kiss Videl?" Videl heard Kiara asking Gohan as the teenaged girl walked through the front gates.

"Because there are some bad people hiding in the bushes, trying to take pictures of us so they can sell them for money. And we don't like that," Gohan replied as he took the girl's hand and walked towards the edge of the city.

Videl smiled at Gohan's reply and walked through the front door and closed it behind her, leaning on it and closing her eyes for a minute, frustrated that she couldn't even give her boyfriend a hug without it making headline news. She sighed and opened her eyes only to come face-to face with her father…and he didn't look very happy.

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"Who was that?" Hercule asked, looking his daughter straight in the eyes. He was dressed in a brown robe, the comfortable attire he usually put on as soon as he came home from a long trip.

Videl placed a hand over her heart. "Daddy! You scared me! When did you get back?" Videl asked trying to steer the conversation to him, hoping his narcissistic side will take the bait.

However, luck was not on her side that afternoon. Once Hercule saw a boy around his little girl he went into overprotective mode and would not be deterred unless the threat was eliminated… or at least permanently several hundred feet away from his daughter. "Answer my question," Hercule reiterated.

"Oh that, that was um… a boy in my class. We um… have a school project together and um… he walked me home with his um…little sister and um…we were discussing the project…so yeah," Videl stuttered, slapping herself at the weak lie she had just told. She was going to get them into some deep trouble.

Hercule raised a suspicious eyebrow. He and his daughter may not have had the best relationship but she had never been able to lie to him convincingly. "Oh really? So why did you hug the girl and why did you touch him?" Hercule interrogated. He would get the truth out of her yet.

"She just…um… got attached to m-me…that's all. And-and I just wanted to say good-goodbye to him and-and thanks for walking me home," Videl stammered. Inside, she sighed. They were totally screwed. Why couldn't she lie to him? He was such an expert liar obviously so couldn't he have passed on those skills to her?

Hercule looked at her disapprovingly and all of a sudden she felt like a five-year-old who just got caught stealing extra cookies. She folded instantly. "Ok dad, he's my boyfriend," she admitted. They were bound to slip up sooner or later so she guessed it was better she tell him now.

Hercule's face immediately smoldered and he turned around, pacing the room as he spoke. "What do you mean he's your _boyfriend?_!" he bellowed. "You're too young to have a boyfriend! I said you cannot date unless the boy is stronger than me!"

"But he _is_ stronger than you!" Videl retorted angrily. The hurt and betrayal she had felt upon learning of her father's lie fuelled her anger towards him. But she didn't want to fight with him about that right now. That, they could leave for another time. All she wanted right now was his blessing…or at least his acceptance of her and Gohan's relationship.

Hercule immediately stopped in his tracks. He sobered up and stared at his daughter. "It's him, isn't it?" he asked, a little afraid to know the answer. Videl's hesistation was all the answer he needed. The man laughed dryly to himself. Of all the people his beautiful, perfect daughter had to fall in love with, it was the boy he had cheated all those years ago. Definite father-of-the-year material wasn't it?

He sighed heavily. "I just want you to know that I'm not proud of what I did," he began, but stopped in the middle of his sentence as he saw Videl shaking her head at him. She didn't want to talk about this now and he understood. She was now facing her father, a person she now knew to be a fraud. Instead, he backtracked. "I know that there's nothing I can do to keep you apart. But I have to warn you. I've seen the destruction he is capable of. Who's to say he won't get mad at you one day and kill you?" Hercule said in a defeated tone. "I can't lose you, sweetpea."

Videl stepped closer to her father. She didn't hug him. She hadn't forgiven him enough to do that yet. Instead she laid her hand gently on his shoulder and said, "I know what you've seen. He's told me about his past but I can assure you that although he has the power to kill, he is not a killer in any sense of the word. He is the most compassionate, forgiving guy I have ever met," she said quietly. "Can you believe he's actually grateful to you for taking the spotlight away from him?" she laughed.

Hercule turned around to face her at that. "You mean he's not mad at me?" he asked tentatively.

Videl shook her head. "Well he was a bit upset that you discredited the ancient forms of martial arts and called his family and friends frauds but he's moving past that," Videl added, not wanting to let him off the hook that easily.

"I-I want to meet him. Just the two of us," Hercule said after a long pause.

"Okay," Videl replied simply before dropping her arm and retreating to her room.

Once she got there, she flopped down on her bed, a small smile on her face. It had been a long time since she'd had such a productive talk with her father. She definitely hadn't planned it this way but they were taking a step in the right direction.

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I hope you guys like it. Let me know what you think!


	41. First Date

Hi everyone. I know it's been a loong while and you probably all hate me by now but here's another chapter. I've honestly been working really hard at the story recently and intend to finish it soon. The next chapter is already in progress. Hope you enjoy!

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**Last time...**

**_"I-I want to meet him. Just the two of us," Hercule said after a long pause._**

**_"Okay," Videl replied simply before dropping her arm and retreating to her room._**

**_Once she got there, she flopped down on her bed, a small smile on her face. It had been a long time since she'd had such a productive talk with her father. She definitely hadn't planned it this way but they were taking a step in the right direction._**

**Chapter 41: First Date**

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Brushing his limp lavender locks out of his eyes, Mirai stepped out of the steaming shower, his skin still burning from the scalding water. Grabbing a nearby towel, he wrapped it around his waist, shivering slightly as the piece of cloth created a slight breeze. He approached the mirror and, with a deep sigh, wiped away the fog from a section of it. He approached the mirror and, with a deep sigh, wiped away the fog from a section of it and leaned on the bathroom counter, his head resting in his palms. Staring at his reflection, he sighed again. He looked absolutely terrible- not a look you really aim for on your first date. He rubbed at his tired eyes, hoping somehow the action would reverse the slightly sunken look they had acquired.

Since he left the training grounds, he had tried tenaciously to get into contact with Lime but it seemed that every avenue he tried failed. She wouldn't pick up her phone, she was too far away for him to accurately pinpoint her position by sensing her ki and trying to talk to her telepathically only left him with a bigger headache than the one he already had. After his twentieth call went to voicemail, he received a brief text message from Lime- _Can't talk now. Will see you tonight. _

It relieved him to find out she was not in a ditch somewhere but the anticipation was killing him. '_Tonight?!' _he had thought. _'I can't wait till tonight! We have figure out what we're going to do __**now**__!' _Did she not realize they were going to have a quarter-Saiyan baby in a few months? What could possibly be more pressing than that? The seeming lack of concern on her part made him question the stability of their relationship. How was it that he was so worked up but she was not only calm but unconcerned? He hadn't even known what he was doing when he marked her as his mate until after the fact. It was like something took over his body. What if their relationship wasn't ready for this? Where would it leave them?

He had spent the afternoon training in the gravity room at a level that would make his father proud and perhaps a little jealous. After almost completely exhausting himself, he had dragged himself to the bathroom, washed the blood and grime off his body, then after trying unsuccessfully to contact Lime again, threw himself onto his bed where he proceeded to brood for the next eight hours.

Patting his cheeks, he untied the towel and dried what little moisture remained on his damp skin. He then turned the towel on his hair, roughly drying the lavender locks until they were only slightly damp. Grabbing a comb, he applied some moisturizer before combing his hair into its regular style. Dropping the towel onto his bathroom counter, he walked through the door to his room, put on some boxers and got dressed in a simple pair of black slacks and a navy blue button-down shirt. He reached for his cell-phone and sent a quick brief to Lime. _'I'm on my way'_

Not wanting to deal with his mother and her never-ending teasing of his and Lime's relationship, he chose to exit through his bedroom window. He closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of the cool early evening breeze flowing over him. The weather than night was perfect, not too warm but not too cold. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky and bright stars and a crescent moon were already beginning to make an appearance. This was the set-up for a perfect romantic evening. Too bad they will be too busy discussing the baby to enjoy it.

In what seemed like no time at all, Mirai came upon the small enclave of houses that was Chazke Village. He touched down a little outside the village despite the fact that many of the villagers knew of flying people thanks to Gohan's heroic stunt seven years before. He did it to give Lime a few more minutes to get ready as well as to give himself a few minutes to clear his head. It amazed him how fickle his emotions were at times. All day he had been dying to see her, wanting to get this conversation out of the way as soon as possible. But now that he had time to think about it, the less he was convinced that he might have been wrong about the whole situation.

The minutes flew by and the next thing he knew he was standing in front of the Mizuki residence. Breathing deeply for the umpteenth time that evening, he raised his fist and knocked gently on the wooden door. It was time to face the music.

It didn't take very long before Akira Mizuki answered his call. The burly man smiled down at him and gestured for him to enter. "Mirai my boy!" he greeted jovially. "How are you doing this evening?"

"I'm doing fine, sir," he lied politely. He was doing anything but fine right now. "And how are you?"

The big man looked at him disapprovingly. "None of this 'sir' nonsense! Just call me dad!" he teased. The older man had known of the attraction the two younger people had felt towards one another and was happy they had finally decided to act on it.

"And you can call me mom!" Chiharu Mizuki piped up from behind her husband as Mirai eneterd the house. "It will be great practice for when you marry our Lime!"

Mirai blushed. "Um…I think it's a little soon to be talking about marriage. It's only our first date," he said, embarrassed as he glanced down the hall to see if Lime was coming. Never mind the fact that they were already married in the Saiyan culture, he wasn't quite ready to go through the very public human ceremony just yet. He guessed they would eventually, but then again, a baby wasn't in their plans for the near future either.

"Alright dear," the older woman said patting his cheek. "You two take your time. Just remember I'd like to see my grandchildren before I die!" Chiharu winked. "Anyway, I'm off to let Lime know you're here," she said before disappearing down the hall.

Mirai chuckled nervously. _You won't have to wait that long…_

"So how's the farm going?" Mirai asked Akira, making small talk as he followed the man to the sitting room, trying his best to steer the conversation away from him and Lime.

The two chatted for a few minutes, talking mostly about work when Chiharu walked into the room holding a camera. "Here she is!" the woman announced, looking like she was about to burst with happiness.

Mirai's jaw dropped as he looked at her. Having been aroung her for many years, he had seen Lime in various states of dress (and undress) but this outfit looked particularly astounding on her. She wore her aurburn hair curled around her shoulders, small ringlets framing her face. Her make up was minimal consisting of only a light blush and pink lipgloss. She was wearing a white halter dress which stopped an inch above her knees. It had a moderate V-neck and hugged her body at the bodice and flowed softly below the waist. On her feet were white wedge-heeled sandals. All in all she looked absolutely gorgeous.

Mrs. Mizuki snapped photo after photo, capturing Mirai's stunned face, Lime's demure gait and the delighted look on Akira's face. A full minute later Mirai recovered, standing to his feet and clearing his throat awkwardly as he realized he was staring.

"She spent hours picking out this oufit for you!" Mrs Mizuki interjected.

"Mom!" Lime yelled, absolutely mortified. She was sure her parents were on a never-ending quest to embarrass her.

"Oops! Sorry!" Chiharu said, although the look on her face showed she wasn't sorry at all. She walked over to her husband and gently pushed Mirai over to his girlfriend. "Come on! I want a shot of you both! This can be so the grandchildren can see their parents used to be cool once!"

Again the two young adults blushed and stood next to one another, plastering fake smile on their faces. But this didn't seem to please the older woman. "For Kami's sake act like you like each other!" she prompted impatiently.

The two looked at each other trying to figure out an appropriate way to pose for the camera when Mirai suddenly wrapped his arms around Lime's waist and pulled her in front of him, resting his chin on her left shoulder. Lime squeaked at his sudden movement and looked up at him, giggling as they made eye contact.

"Perfect!" Chiharu said, snapping away. "This is definitely one for the photo album!"

"Alright you two, get out of here! Have fun and I don't want to see you back here before 1:00!" Chiharu demanded practically shoving them out the front door.

"Have fun, you two!" Akira called as they got into Mirai's jetcopter.

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In half an hour, Mirai and Lime pulled up in front of an old brownstone building. Mirai got out of the sleek, black coupe, which he had traded the jetcopter for once they arrived in the city, and opened the door for Lime, escorting her to the sidewalk. He encapsulated the car and offered his date his arm as they walked up the steps into the building. The inside was modest but gorgeous. The interior walls of the building were also brownstone while the floor was shale. The windows were arches cut straight into the wall that opened and closed with large wooden shutters. Warm lights resembling torches were placed along the walls and there were several fireplaces littered throughout the building. Copies of renaissance paintings were also strategically placed on the walls while large stone pillars defined the space within the room. The bar and furniture were made of rich mahogany and they, along with the rest of the décor added to the medieval feel of the restaurant.

The two walked up to the host. "Ciao!" the host said excitedly. "Mirai Briefs! I can't believe you're here! Let me get you to your table. Atashi, would you please prepare the private booth?" He instructed a passing teenage waiter who seemed to be mesmerized by Lime.

"Y-yes, sir," the boy stuttered, a deep blush spreading across his face as he realized he'd been caught. He ducked his head and walked quickly past then to the back of the restaurant, nearly tripping over his own two feet along the way.

The host turned towards the couple and apologized for his employee's behavior. "I'm sorry about him, he's new."

In a few minutes, the couple was escorted to their table by the same young man who made sure not to make any eye contact this time. Apparently his boss had given him a thorough talking-to.

The two sat in awkward silence as the young man left to give them time to decide what they'd be ordering. The silence was beginning to wear on Mirai's already frayed nerves. He visibly tensed when Lime seemed to want to say something.

"Do you know what you want to order?" she asked casually. To be honest, Mirai hadn't even looked at the menu and impossible as it may seem, wasn't at all hungry either.

Mirai put down the menu a bit forcefully, trying and failing quickly to contain his frustration. "Seriously, Lime?" he whispered harshly so no inquisitive ears could pick up their conversation. "I have literally been pulling my hair out over this pregnancy deal and you're not even going to mention it?"

Lime's expression phased through surprise, anger and understanding in as many seconds before she placed her hand upon his closed fist gently. She leaned in closer and whispered with a smile. "I'm not pregnant."

It was Mirai's turn to ride the waved of emotion before the words finally clicked in his brain. "You're not pregnant? Really? You're not?"

Lime smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'm not," she said. "Hopefully we can keep it that way until we're both ready."

"No kidding!" Mirai said, finally cracking a smile. It was like a huge weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders. He shook his head, unable to hide the smile on his face. "This bond is going to be the death of me," he said.

"What makes you say that? Already having regrets?" she asked half-seriously.

"Maybe," Mirai teased with a smile before kissing her softly, assuaging her fears. "Seriously though, I swear I heard you say you were pregnant through our bond."

Lime's eyes widened. "You heard that? I'm so sorry! No wonder you were so freaked out! I thought you were just nervous about our date! I was busy with a photoshoot earlier which was why I didn't answer my phone. I really was thinking the worst when your mom came back with the results. She looked so damn serious! Scared the crap out of me!" she said, rolling her eyes and earning a smile from Mirai. He's mom's devious side tended to come out at the worst of times.

Mirai lightly kissed her again before relieved laughter bubbled out of him once again. This was freaking amazing! He wanted to run around the place yealling his excitement like a mad man but he knew neither his mother nor Lime would appreiciate it once it made the tabloids so he toned it down to controlled laughter.

Lime grinned at him and put her hand over his mouth to shut him up as he got a big loud. Her smile slipped from her lips as a thought crossed her mind. "What would you have done if I were pregnant?" she asked in a small voice, looking down at her glass of water.

Mirai took her hand from his lips and kissed the inside of her wrist, taking hold of her chin so he could look her in the eyes. "I would have stayed. I would be freaked out beyond belief and positive I would be using duct tape on diapers but I wouldn't have left you. We're bonded for life, remember? It's you and me for the long haul," he said, a small smile gracing his lips at the end.

Lime giggled at thought of Mirai trying to change a diaper but her features softened as she spoke again. "I thought it would break us, you know? I mean we haven't been together that long. What if instead of bringing us together, it tore us apart? I don't want to lose you."

"I know what you mean. I felt the same way but just know no matter how scary the situation, I'll never leave you," he said, kissing her forehead only to pull away when his stomach growled loudly.

His cheeks turned pink as he patted his toned abdomen. "Well I haven't had anything to eat sine this morning to we should probably decide what to order." he explained.

Lime looked horrified as she felt his forhead. "You only ate once today? Are you sure you're feeling ok?" she asked, both humored and concerned.

"I am now," Mirai replied with a cheeky grin and opened his menu, eager to find something to appease his protesting stomach.

They spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company and discovering new aspects of the other's personality. When they had paid the bill, they walked out into the cool November night was unusually warm for this time of year promting Lime to suggest they walk the few blocks to the park.

Once at the park, the two sat next to each other on a pair of swings. Immediately, they got into a contest to see who could go the highest. Subsequent cheating by Mirai for using his ki caused Lime to kick off her shoes and begin chasing him around the park. Out of breath from both running and laughing the two staggered over to a park bench and sat wrapped in each other's arms as they looked up at the stars, pointing out the contellations they could recognize and making their own silly ones by the time their collective knowledge of astronomy was exhausted. By the end of the night the night sky had acquired a Piccolo-in-a-Massive-Turban, a Gotenus Ravenous, a Final-to-HFIL and a Frying Pan of Doom. All names were still in beta.

They were sitting in a comfortable silence, Lime leaning her head on Mirai's chest while he rested his chin on the top of her head. "You know there was a time when I sat kind of like this with someone." Mirai said, causing Lime to look up at him in surprise. He found telling her little stories about his past helped him with the pain and guilt he felt while simultaneously built their trust in each other. The more he opened up to her, the more she seemed to understand him.

"I thought you said you didn't have a girlfriend in your timeline," she said in a slightly accusatory tone. It wasn't that she was jealous. She was just upset that he lied to her.

"I never said she was my girlfriend," Mirai chuckled to his denfense.

"Oh," Lime conceded and laid her head on his chest once again. "Tell me about her," she murmured against his shirt.

"Well it was no doubt the saddest day of my life. The day Gohan died. I was feeling so alone. I mean the whole time I was growing up, it was the two of us against the androids and then all of a sudden… it was just me. My mom was like a zombie. Like his death paralyzed her. It was then that she poured everything into building the time machine because she knew all hope for us was lost. I think the only thing that kept her going what the hope that she could turn back the hands of time so we'd be ready for them that somewhere out there, there would be a version of ourselves living in peace," he said somberly.

Lime squeezed his hand, giving him support as his past demons afflicted him. "After mom fell asleep out of pure exhaustion I snuck out of the house and started running bawling like a baby. I didn't know where I was going or if the androids were around or not. To be hinest I didn't really care either. Then the next thing I knew I would myself on the ground with a girl on top of me. The first thing I would think of was how pretty she was. Then a realized my hand was in her chest. I thought she was going to start yelling at me but I guess she saw me crying and decided to hug me instead. We ended up lying on the ground and then she started making up ridiculous constellations just to make me smile. After that, she left. I didn't even get her name," Mirai said with a wistful smile.

Lime slapped his shoulder. "You shared a moment like that with a girl and didn't even introduce yourself?" she asked incredulously. "No wonder you didn't have a girlfriend! You have zero game!" she teased.

"Ah shut up," Mirai replied a small blush coating his cheeks. "I must have some game if I got you," he countered.

"Nope," Lime said giving him a peck on the lips. "I think it was your devasatatingly good looks that did me in."

Mirai looked at Lime scandalized. "Are you saying you only want me for my body?" he smirked.

Lime smirked back. "And what if I do?" she teased.

Mirai leaned closer to her, kissing her passionately until she was breathless. "I'll continue doing his until you love me…all of me, my sexy princess," he said, running his hand from her cheek, down her neck and between her breasts, never breaking his heated gaze on her.

Lime shivered. "I can live with that," she said, kissing him once more.

When the kiss broke Mirai commented. "She was about ten years older than me so it probably wouldn't have worked out then. So imagine my surprise when a few years later I walk into my den and find her watching TV with my sensei's younger counterpart and I'm the one a few years older than her," he grinned.

Lime pulled away from him, staring at him in disbelief. "You m-met me? In the future?" she asked.

Mirai nodded, smiling at her. Lime launched herself at him giving him a tight hug. "And here I thought I was the only one other than Goten without a future counterpart," she said.

"Yeah, I didn't tell you earlier," he replied. "I guess I was a bit embarrassed to mention it before. Well I think I should get you home. I think we managed to stay within your parents' curfew."

Lime giggled and shook her head. "My parents are insane," she laughed. Looking up at him she asked, "Fly me? I don't want to let go of you just yet," she said standing up.

Mirai chuckled. "Me either," he said as he scooped her into his arms. After checking to see if there was no one around, he blasted into the sky, erecting an energy shield around them so Lime wouldn't be bothered by the wind.

The ride was silent all the way to Chazke Village as Lime had drifted off about ten minutes into the ride. However, a smile still lingered on Mirai's lips as he looked down on the sleeping woman in his arms, chuckling in amusement at their relationship. How lucky he was that he managed to meet his first crush in an alternate reality and she was just as interested in him as he was in her? All too soon, they touched down in front of the Mizuki residence. Leaning down to her ear he whispered, "We're here."

Lime shifted in his arms before groggily opening her eyes as Mirai set her down. She smiled back at him, "Sorry I fell asleep. You're just too damn comfy."

"Mirai blushed a little. "I didn't mind," he answered.

The two stood, facing each other, an awkward silence building between them as the common first date nervousness overtook them. "So I had a really nice time tonight," Mirai broke the silence with the cliché.

"Me too. We should do it again," Lime responded in kind.

"We should," Mirai agreed. "Next weekend?" he suggested.

"It's a date!" Lime grinned brightly at him.

"So goodnight?" Mirai asked more than said.

Lime smiled at his shyness. "Goodnight," she responded.

Still Mirai stood in front of her, an unsure look on his face before he quickly leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"What was that?" Lime laughed at his action and a furious blush flooded his cheeks.

"And I don't know why I just did that," Mirai said, finding his shoes particularly interesting.

"Get over here silly," Lime said before levitating to his level, wrapping her arms aroung his neck and pressing her lips to his in a breathtaking kiss. They stayed like that for a long while, immersing themselves in the taste of the other before they finally separated.

"Are we supposed to do that on our first date?" Mirai whispered as they pulled away.

"Mirai we've kissed several times, made love several times never mind the fact that we've been friends for three years and bonded for life. I think a real kiss on our first date is perfectly acceptable no?" she responded.

"Suppose so," he replied, staring at his shoes, he cheeks still a rosy hue. He was glad that in the darkness she wasn't able to see him that well. "It's silly. I have no idea why I'm so nervous."

Lime patted his cheek. "I am too. But like I said I really had fun tonight so we can count this date a success. We don't have to worry about what we're supposed to do. Let's just do what comes naturally." Lime said.

Mirai finally met her eyes and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I just wanted everything to be perfect," he explained.

"And it was. I loved it," Lime reiterated.

Mirai smiled at her before sweeping her into another breathtaking kiss. When they separated he whispered. "Goodnight, my sexy princess."

"Goodnight, my dashing prince," Lime responded before she unlocked the door and entered.

The last thing Mirai heard as the door closed behind her was Chiharu's high pitched squeal as she begged her daughter for details.

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So that was it. Pure Mirai and Lime fluff, I know. More on Gohan and Videl to come in the very near future.

Review please and let me know what you think!


	42. Punishment

Hey everyone. Here's the next installment! It's a bit short but longer chapters will be coming in the future.

_**Last time...**_

_**Mirai smiled at her before sweeping her into another breathtaking kiss. When they separated he whispered. "Goodnight, my sexy princess."**_

_**"Goodnight, my dashing prince," Lime responded before she unlocked the door and entered.**_

_**The last thing Mirai heard as the door closed behind her was Chiharu's high pitched squeal as she begged her daughter for details.**_

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**Chapter 42: Punishment**

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Gohan and Kiara touched down in front of the Son household. Setting the little girl down, Gohan handed her her backpack and told her sternly. "Go inside, say hello to Grandma Chi Chi and go straight to your room. Get started on your homework and I'll come help you in a few minutes."

Kiara looked down at her shoes as she scuffed them in the dirt. "Yes Gohan," she said and did as she was asked.

After waiting a few minutes for the little girl to get upstairs, Gohan pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed and went inside, not looking forward to facing the whirlwind of emotions he called his mother.

The minute he stepped inside, the Son matriarch was on him like white on rice. "What's wrong with her?" she demanded. "I asked her about her day at school and she refused to tell me anything specific and hurried off to her room!"

"I told her to go straight to her room. She's being punished for fighting at school," Gohan said calmly, cringing in anticipation of the stream of hysterics that was about to exit his mother's mouth.

As expected Chi Chi's face became red with anger and the ranting began. "What? Who was she fighting with? What did they do to my precious grandbaby? Is she hurt? Why aren't you doing anything? You just wait until I get a hold of this child's parents! I'll give them a piece of my mind!" she yelled as she grabbed the Frying Pan of Doom ™ and began beating the air demonstrating what she would do the moronic parents of the child that dared touch her granddaughter.

As her ranting subsided, Gohan ventured closer to her and put a reassuraing hand on her shoulder as put down the deadly weapon. "She's fine," Gohan said. "She was defending a friend that a little boy was bullying. I didn't want to let her off the hook completely because she needs to know that it's not ok to fight at school under any circumstances." He neglected to mention the scrape Kiara received on her knee when the boy pushed her to the ground. If that ever got out Chi Chi would be after that child like a bat out of hell.

Instantly her mood changed as she heard the reason for the fight. "Aww! She's just like you and your dad! You two can never stand by when someone is being hurt!" she gushed. Again her mood switched to the level-headed disciplinarian. "But you're right. She does need to be punished. I don't want her thinking it's ok and getting herself hurt. What do you propose?" Since Kiara had come to live with them, Chi Chi rarely interfered with her care and discipline so long as Gohan was available. He had decided he wanted to adopt her eventually and she was going to make sure he took full responsibility for Kiara.

Gohan contemplated his options. He didn't want to be too harsh on her but he didn't want to be so lenient that she wouldn't think he was serious. "I was thinking no playing with Goten once he gets back of Capsule Corp this afternoon and straight to bed after dinner, no dessert," he suggested.

Chi Chi smiled at her son. "Did I ever tell you how proud of you I am? You're already such a good father," she praised as she kissed him on the cheek.

Gohan blushed and ducked his head. "Thanks, mom," he said shyly. Although he didn't always show it, her opinion meant the world to him.

"Now how about you get started on your homework?" she suggested, going into mother mode.

"Alright mom," he replied and climbed the stairs to Kiara's room.

Knocking once, he opened the door and found Kiara of the floor hugging her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared at a haphazardly packed suitcase. Gohan rushed to her side. "What's wrong, Kiki?" he asked, sitting next to her. He was shocked when she scooted away from him and sobbed louder.

"I packed already," she said between hiccups, gesturing to her suitcase in front of them.

"What for?" Gohan asked patiently although he already knew the answer. The girl was constantly terrified they were going to send her away! He had no idea what to do so she'd feel she had a permanent place in their family.

"You don't…You don''t want me anymore!" she sniffed.

"Of course I want you! I love you, silly," Gohan said, scooping her into his arms and kissing her forehead, pleased when she didn't resist. Using the hem of his shirt, he dried her tears and held her as she calmed down. "Kiki, do you promise that you'll never become a maniac who hurts people to take over the world?" he asked seriously, holding out his pinky to her.

Kiara giggled. "I pinky promise," she said, locking their little fingers together.

"Then it's settled. There's nothing you do that will make me not want you anymore. I'm sorry but you're stuck with me." Gohan said smiling at her. Kiara grinned back. "But when you do bad things I'm going to punish you but I promise I still love you and I'll always want you around, ok?" he added, looking into her big emerald eyes.

The little girl nodded. Smiling hopefully at him she asked, "Does this mean I don't get a punishment this time?"

"Not a chance," Gohan responded smiling at her. "You're staying in your room for the rest of the day and you'll go to bed straight after dinner." He pulled her lower lip down as she stuck it out in a pout. "You know your face will get stuck like that," he chided and she folded her arms and leaned back against his chest.

They sat like that for a few minutes with Gohan stroking her hair until he finally spoke up. "Well how about we get started on your homework then you can use up the time until dinner putting your clothes back where they should be."

"Okay," Kiara said grudgingly, drawing out the word.

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At seven o' clock, Gohan kissed Kiara's forehead and turned on her nightlight before turning off the lamp on her night stand. She had complained over and over again but complied with the punishment she was receiving. Softly, he closed the door behind him and headed to his room to finish up his homework. It had broken his heart to see the child distraught that he was going to send her away. It made a part of him wish never to punish her again but he knew he would be raising a monster if he let her do whatever she wanted. As he closed his bedroom door behind him, his cell phone rang and he smiled as girlfriend's face flashed on the screen.

"Hey Vi!" he greeted.

"Hi Gohan," Videl replied.

Gohan frowned as she responded, something in her voice indicating that something wasn't quite right. "Vi what's wrong?" he asked, trying to stay calm. He knew she wasn't in any physical danger as her ki hadn't spiked like it usually did. But that did little to mollify him.

"Um…Dad was home when you dropped me off and…I kinda told him we were together and now he wants to meet you. Just the two of you," Videl said nervously.

Gohan nearly collapsed in relief as he heard what she had to say. He couldn't resist the snort of laughter that escaped his lips as he allowed air to flood his lungs again.

Videl however, didn't appreciate his humor. "And exactly what is so funny about this?" she asked heatedly and Gohan could already imagine her nostrils flaring adorably as her face took on a red hue.

"No! Nothing!" Gohan responded, waving an arm in front of him in defense although she couldn't see him. But he could do nothing to stop the wave of chuckles as he imagined Hercule going off about how he was going to crush the scrawny punk that dared kiss his daughter.

"Well if all you're going to do is laugh at me then I'm hanging up now," Videl huffed angrily.

"No Videl! Wait a second!" Gohan cried. "I'll meet him! It's just…that's it?"

"What do you mean, that's it?" Videl said. "I've spent Kami knows how many hours trying to figure out how to tell you this and laugh and say that's it?" she ranted.

"Well he didn't lock you in a tower and forbid you to ever see me again, did he?" Gohan said cheekily.

"Well…no," she responded, significantly less incensed. She supposed that wasn't the worst that could happen.

"It will be fine, Videl. How about I come over tomorrow after school?" he proposed.

"Tomorrow? That soon?" Videl protested.

"Might as well get it over with. What's the worst that could happen?" he said.

"Famous last words," Videl retorted.

"Anything else you need to tell me? I'm pretty tired and I have that essay to finish," Gohan said.

"He also knows who you are," Videl said quickly.

"What? You told him?" he yelled, the accusation stabbing her like a knife. Gohan closed his eyes, not saying anything more for a minute.

"Are you still there, Gohan? I didn't tell him per se. We just got in an argument and I blurted out that you were stronger than him and he just knew. It was stupid I know," Videl rambled on.

"Yeah I'm here. Well he can't really use that information against me without outing himself. So maybe it's a good thing. Now he won't try something stupid like challenge me to a fight." Gohan replied.

"I'm really sorry Gohan," Videl apologized.

"Not your fault, Vi. He was bound to find out sooner or later. Anyway I'll talk to you at school tomorrow. Have a good night." Gohan replied.

"Good night Gohan," Videl responded. She paused for a second; hesitant at what his response would be after what happened that day. Still, she needed to say it. "I love you," she finally whispered, not sure if he was still on the line.

"Me too, Videl," she heard him respond, his tone considerably softer than before and that brought a smile to her lips.

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Review and tell me what you think!


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